The Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications reported that in fiscal 2021 the total revenue of Japan’s furusato nōzei system increased by 23% year-on-year to a record breaking ¥830.2 billion. The number of donations also reached a new high, rising by 27% to 47.8 million. It is thought that the steady demand from at-home “nesting” consumption during the COVID-19 pandemic has contributed to this increase. Furusato nōzei is a tax donation system launched in 2008 to correct the imbalanced tax revenue between urban and rural areas. Taxpayers can get income and resident tax deductions up to the total amount ... (full story)