<figure id="attachment_403903" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-403903" style="width: 4248px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><a href="#" data-ident_hash="48650bcb"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/fridaydigital/image/private/t_article_image/wpmedia/2024/12/e225faea52d842394e267c2e0874cae9.jpg" alt=""></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-403903" class="wp-caption-text">Many websites, such as Satofuru, actively air TV commercials (photo from Satofuru website)</figcaption></figure>
<h2> The &#8220;rush donation&#8221; is the key!</h2>
<p> There are only a few days left until December 31, 2012, when the deadline for the 2012 Furusato tax payment is set to expire.</p>
<p> However, the &#8220;rush donation&#8221; just before the deadline is actually the key to maximizing the benefits of Furusato tax payment, according to Keisuke Tobita, a financial planner.</p>
<p><span class="strongInContent"> Keisuke Tobita, a financial planner, says, &#8220;The biggest advantage is that you can know your exact maximum deduction limit. The maximum deduction limit for Furusato tax payment is determined by the current year&#8217;s income. By calculating the limit at this time of the year, after the winter bonus and other hard-to-forecast amounts have been paid, it is possible to use up the full limit.</span></p>
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<p> Even among those who think they have already finished their donations for this year, some may have a few thousand yen to 10,000 yen left over to use up their quota. In order to use up your quota wisely and without excess, the experts at Furusato Tax have carefully selected 12 of the best deals among small returns of 10,000 yen or less that are ideal for fine-tuning your tax return.</p>
<p> Please refer to the table below to help you make a run for it.</p>
<p> The editor-in-chief of the magazine and website &#8220;Furusato Tax Payment Nippon! magazine and website, &#8220;Furusato Tax Payment Nippon!</p>
<p><span class="strongInContent"> The return package of salmon roe and scallops from the town of Shiranuka in Hokkaido, known as the &#8220;town of salmon roe,&#8221; can be donated for as little as 10,000 yen. Another popular return gift from Monbetsu City, also in Hokkaido, is filled with crab meat and crabmeat. It is the best part of hometown taxation: you can enjoy a little bit of luxury for a small amount.</span></p>
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<p> For those who want to use up the maximum deduction limit in units of 1,000 yen, the aforementioned Mr. Tobita passionately states, &#8220;There is a recommended return gift.</p>
<p><span class="strongInContent"> When you have only about 3,000 yen left in your credit limit, it is difficult to find a good return gift, but I can give a thumbs up to a six-serving ramen set from Minamishimabara City in Nagasaki Prefecture. The taste is authentic, and it can be used as a preservative food. Seki City in Gifu Prefecture offers Seki Magoroku nail clippers, which are highly reputed on various e-commerce sites, as a return gift for a donation of 5,000 yen; there are bargains to be had even in returns under 10,000 yen.&#8221;</span></p>
<p><a href="#" data-ident_hash="11621e9a"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/fridaydigital/image/private/t_article_image/wpmedia/2024/12/c2fd956a35bf5fd3deb4b34132b5cc6f-1.jpg" alt=""></a></p>
<div data-friday-nextpage-lead=" Putting unused slots to good use"></div>
<h2>Catalogs, a &#8220;backdoor&#8221; way</h2>
<p> Against the backdrop of high prices, donations were concentrated on items that can be used on a daily basis, which is another trend of this year&#8217;s Furusato tax payment. Mr. Yusaku Seki, editor-in-chief of Furusato tax information website &#8220;FURUTOKU,&#8221; explains.</p>
<p><span class="strongInContent"> Daily necessities such as tissues and toilet paper are often chosen as tax returns. Also popular are returns that are not special but are easy to use at the dinner table, such as the cut-off beef from Izumisano City, Osaka Prefecture.</span></p>
<p><span class="strongInContent"> In the past, most people used Furusato as a means to enjoy a little luxury, but now it has transformed into a system that helps people&#8217;s lives a little more.</span></p>
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<p> Furnavi, a major portal site, offers a system to effectively consume the unused quota.</p>
<p><span class="strongInContent"> Furnavi offers a system called &#8216;point-based hometown tax payment,&#8217; in which donors who make a donation to a municipality are given points (equivalent to 30% of the donation) as &#8216;catalog points. The points can be exchanged for local specialties listed in the &#8220;FURUNAVI Catalog&#8221; published by each municipality. The catalog points do not expire. It would be a good idea to convert your extra points to points from popular local governments and then think about what you want to use them for when you have time,&#8221; says Seki.</span></p>
<p> Another nice point of Furusato tax payment is that you can get points issued by portal sites. The month of December has a special meaning in terms of point redemption.</p>
<p><span class="strongInContent"> At the end of the year, portal sites that accept Furusato tax payments tend to launch many campaigns such as super sales, which increase the point redemption rate. It is the most suitable time to benefit from the points.</span></p>
<p><span class="strongInContent"> In addition, the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications has announced that it will prohibit the solicitation of donations through portal sites that give points in exchange for donations from October next year. We cannot afford to miss out on the last chance to receive a large point reward for hometown tax payments at the end of the year,&#8221; said Mr. Tobita.</span></p>
<p> Furusato tax payment has become a &#8220;must-do&#8221; system. To receive maximum benefits, why not spend less than 10,000 yen this year?</p>
<figure id="attachment_403902" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-403902" style="width: 2500px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><a href="#" data-ident_hash="c2d16b29"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/fridaydigital/image/private/t_article_image/wpmedia/2024/12/51494b66b20eaec11fe501f5bdf797f4.jpg" alt=""></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-403902" class="wp-caption-text"> Furnavi and other sites are currently holding point reduction campaigns (photo from Furnavi website).</figcaption></figure>
<figure id="attachment_403905" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-403905" style="width: 2500px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><a href="#" data-ident_hash="acfea088"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/fridaydigital/image/private/t_article_image/wpmedia/2024/12/84a41c3fb5ceaeee769baea557d78e50.jpg" alt=""></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-403905" class="wp-caption-text"> The market size of hometown tax payments exceeds 1 trillion yen, and some municipalities that are putting a lot of effort into it post a popularity ranking (photo from the Shiranukan-cho website).</figcaption></figure>
<p> From the December 27, 2024 issue of FRIDAY</p>
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 December 31, 2012, is the last day to pay Furusato tax. In fact, "rushing to donate" just before the deadline can be beneficial! Experts on Furusato carefully select 12 of the best small returns for fine-tuning your tax return!

Rush donation” is the key! Furusato Tax Returns: 12 “Special Returns” for less than 10,000 yen

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