Overview
- Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, speaking Monday in a House of Councillors budget review, called slow tax-rate changes on store registers embarrassing for Japan and pressed for systems that can switch rates quickly.
- Register and point‑of‑sale vendors told a cross‑party council that making the tax rate zero would take about a year, while a one‑point change could be done in roughly three to six months.
- LDP tax chief Itsunori Onodera said the Social Security National Council will weigh Middle East turmoil and crude supply risks, including recent U.S. and Israeli action against Iran, as it debates tax relief.
- Reporting now says a zero rate within fiscal 2026 looks difficult based on industry timelines, though the prime minister said she will seek ways to speed any rollout.
- The council, where Onodera chairs the working‑level talks, plans to pull proposals together by June, a schedule that could favor a smaller cut that reaches shoppers sooner and eases the burden on retailers and software teams.