法人税率下げ 成長加速へ踏み込んだ検討を

The Yomiuri Shimbun February 05, 2014
Step up corporate tax cut debate to boost economic growth
法人税率下げ　成長加速へ踏み込んだ検討を（2月5日付・読売社説）

To solidify the foundations of Japan’s economic growth, the nation’s tax system needs to be revamped in a way that can exert the hidden vitality of companies. The government should speed up discussions on the issue.
　日本経済の成長基盤を強化するため、企業活力を引き出す税制への見直しが必要だ。政府は検討を急がねばならない。

Under the initiative of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, talks regarding corporate tax reform will shift into high gear at the government’s Tax Commission and other institutions.
　安倍首相の強い意向で法人税改革の議論が政府税制調査会などで本格化する。

“We will put tax incentives into place in a way completely different from before,” Abe said at January’s meeting of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.
　首相は１月のスイス・ダボス会議で「異次元の税制措置を断行する」と強調した。

Abe also pledged to “make the tax system for companies internationally competitive.”
「法人税の体系を国際相場に照らして競争的なものにする」とも述べた。

Abenomics has put Japan’s economy on an upward trajectory, but the Abe administration has yet to show a growth strategy strong enough to further boost the economy.
　経済政策「アベノミクス」の効果で景気は上向いたが、成長戦略はまだ力不足だ。

Abe aims to incorporate his plan on corporate tax reduction into the Basic Policies for Economic and Fiscal Management and Structural Reform, to be drawn up in June, as part of his efforts to reinforce his growth strategy. His efforts are commendable.
首相が６月にまとめる「経済財政運営と改革の基本方針」（骨太方針）で減税の方向性を明示し、成長戦略を強化しようとする狙いは理解できる。

After the special corporate tax levies to help resuscitate areas hit by the March 2011 disaster are removed at the end of March, Tokyo’s effective corporate tax rate will be lowered to 35.64 percent.
　復興特別法人税が３月末で廃止された後、法人税の実効税率は３５・６４％（東京都）に下がる。

However, Japan’s effective corporate tax rates will still be substantially higher than in Europe and other Asian nations, where countries generally set the rate at the 20 percent level. It will be necessary for the government to further cut the corporate tax rate to curb the hollowing out of the nation’s industries and increase foreign investment.
　それでも日本の税率は、２０％台が多い欧州やアジアの国々より高い。産業空洞化に歯止めをかけ、海外から投資を呼び込むには、一層の引き下げが求められよう。

Securing alternative revenue

The question is how to secure funds for the corporate tax reduction. The Finance Ministry and the ruling Liberal Democratic Party’s Tax System Research Commission have claimed that about ¥470 billion will be necessary to cover the loss in tax revenues caused by a 1 percentage point corporate tax reduction. If the government wants to cut the corporate tax rate by 10 points, about ¥5 trillion will be necessary.
　問題は減税財源をどう確保するかだ。財務省や自民党税制調査会は、法人税減税には１％下げで約４７００億円の代替財源が要ると主張する。１０％引き下げる場合、５兆円規模に膨らむ。

Abe has suggested he will not necessarily stick to the idea of securing an alternative revenue source. However, we believe it will be a point of contention in discussing the reduction.
　首相は減税規模に見合う財源確保にこだわらない考えを示唆したが、今後の議論の焦点となる。

The issue that must be discussed first is how to broaden the tax base to collect taxes from a wider range of companies, including reviewing special policy measures to reduce corporate taxes on specific sectors of industry.
　まず検討すべきは、特定業種の税負担を軽減する租税特別措置（租特）の見直しなど幅広く税収を得る課税ベース拡大である。

There is long-standing criticism that the measures have become a source of vested interest for certain industries and give them an unfair advantage. The measures were designed to expire within a certain time frame, but in many cases, their terms have been extended. The government should reexamine the impact of each measure, and downscale or abolish those that have become less effective.
　一部業界で租特が既得権益化し、不公平だとする批判が根強い。時限措置だったはずが、継続されている制度も目立つ。政策効果を改めて分析し、効果が薄れた租特は廃止・縮小すべきだろう。

Currently, more than 70 percent of Japanese companies do not pay corporate taxes. It is worth discussing the review of a system allowing companies to deduct the deficits of one fiscal year from the surpluses of the following years.
　国内企業の７割超が法人税を払っていない。ある年度の赤字を翌年以降の黒字から差し引ける繰越欠損金制度の見直しも一案だ。

However, there is a possibility that such measures will not be enough to cover the loss in tax revenue caused by the corporate tax reduction. It is said that in Europe, the earnings of companies have improved due to the corporate tax cut, resulting in a rise in tax revenue.
　だが、こうした対応だけでは十分な財源を捻出できない恐れもある。欧州では、税率を下げることで企業の収益が上向き、税収が増える現象が起きたとされる。

In contrast, although the Japanese government has already conducted a small-scale corporate tax rate cut, the corporate tax revenue in the 2013 April-December period has shown no marked increases.
　一方、日本ではすでに法人税率の小幅引き下げを行ったにもかかわらず、２０１３年４～１２月の法人税収は横ばいにとどまった。

We urge the Tax Commission and the other institutions to examine such domestic and European examples of corporate tax reductions and further discuss the issue.
　日欧の実例を検証し、政府税調などで議論を深めてほしい。

To rejuvenate Japan’s economy, it is also essential for the government to steadily promote other measures on its growth strategy platform, such as deregulation.
　経済の活性化には、政府が規制改革など他の成長戦略を強力に推進することも大切である。

In addition, to avoid criticism that companies are given preferential treatment by the government, companies that enjoy solid results should increase their employees’ wages to help create a virtuous economic cycle.
　企業優遇と批判されぬよう、好業績の企業は賃上げにつなげ、経済の好循環に貢献すべきだ。

(From the Yomiuri Shimbun, Feb. 5, 2014)
（2014年2月5日01時37分  読売新聞）