最後に↓をポチっとお願いします♪

にほんブログ村
Today, I’d like to write a bit about the 1.03 million yen barrier. Even if I record my thoughts now, this topic could become irrelevant if the rule is abolished in the future. How things evolve will depend on discussions between the ruling Liberal Democratic Party and other influential parties, such as the Democratic Party for the People.
So, what exactly is the 1.03 million yen barrier?
This article explains it well, so I’ll share it:
"When Did the '1.03 Million Yen Barrier' Begin?"
According to the article, the "barrier" doesn’t technically exist. Instead, it is a combination of the "basic tax deduction" (currently 480,000 yen) and the minimum guaranteed amount of the "employment income deduction" (currently 550,000 yen), which totals 1.03 million yen.
This 1.03 million yen threshold has remained unchanged since 1995—for 29 years. Over this time, there has been inflation and an increase in consumption tax rates. Back in 1995, the consumption tax rate was just 3%. It rose to 5% in 1997 (nostalgic!), 8% in 2014, and 10% in 2019 (with a reduced rate of 8% for specific items).
Looking solely at consumption tax, it has increased by 7 percentage points, yet the 1.03 million yen threshold has remained static. Can one even maintain a minimal standard of living on 1.03 million yen anymore?
I looked into the welfare support amount for my city, Tajimi, using an online calculator. For a single-person household aged 39, the welfare allowance comes out to 103,660 yen per month.
Dividing 1.03 million yen by 12 months, the monthly amount is less than this welfare amount. Shouldn’t the threshold at least exceed that level?
When consumption taxes are raised, tax deductions and other related figures should also be adjusted upward.
If the goal is to increase wages and exceed the inflation rate, wouldn’t bottom-up measures be necessary? Wage increases are primarily a company-level issue, but in reality, employees are forced to reduce their working hours to stay within the tax-free threshold.
Hourly wages are indeed rising, but unless the 1.03 million yen barrier is also raised, working hours will decrease. This could further worsen the labor shortage in Japan, where the working population is already declining.
If wages are to rise, the barrier must also rise accordingly. Otherwise, workplaces will face even greater staffing shortages. Even if people want to work and earn more, they can’t work under such constraints.
I believe it is the responsibility of the ruling party to promptly review and update this system.
See you next time!
Lastly, please click the link below to support my blog!
To the Management Blog Section of Nihon Blog Mura