No need for a dedicated reader. The ``2D barcode'' method is convenient for tax returns (Kenta Yamaguchi)-Individual-Yahoo! News

Acceptance of tax return for 2021 (2021) has started. With the spread of "e-Tax" using My Number cards, it is now even more convenient with support for "2D barcodes".

The National Tax Agency recommends electronic filing with e-Tax (national tax electronic filing and tax payment system) using your My Number card. It's convenient to be able to file tax returns even while traveling overseas, and I've been using it for nearly 10 years since I became a sole proprietor.

At first, an “IC card reader/writer” was an essential item for e-Tax. However, it costs 3,000 to 4,000 yen to purchase a terminal, and many people may have had trouble recognizing the card even after going through the troublesome procedure to set it up.

After that, the "ID/password method" was added, and by having the tax office issue an ID and password in advance, there was a method of using e-Tax without using the My Number card. However, this is considered to be a provisional measure until My Number Card becomes popular.

And from 2022, a method of reading My Number cards with a smartphone via a "2D barcode" will be introduced. If you have a compatible smartphone, you don't need an IC card reader/writer.

Recently, it is becoming possible to file tax returns with just a smartphone, but there are still limitations on the functions. However, if you use this method, you can use your smartphone only to read your My Number card while preparing your final tax return and blue return financial statements on your computer.

Supported smartphone models are iOS 13.1 or later iPhone 7 and later models, Android is the latest 340 models, and installation of the "Mynaportal" application is required.

The actual operation procedure is to open the Mynaportal app on your smartphone and read the 2D barcode displayed on your computer's web browser. Enter the password of the My Number card on the smartphone side, bring the smartphone close to the board card and read it. If successful, the screen on the PC side will automatically transition.

It is important to note that two types of passwords are required for electronic filing using the My Number Card. The 4-digit "password for user authentication" is used for things such as logging in to the app. The 6-digit to 16-digit "signature password" is used when sending the tax return data.

If you enter the wrong password for user authentication 3 times and the password for signature 5 times in a row, your card will be locked and you will need to reset it at the municipal office. The signature password can be initialized and reset at a convenience store, etc.

In the future, it will be possible to install My Number cards on smartphones, and it is expected that reading the board card itself will be unnecessary, but at present it is the best method.

Account registration for receiving "benefits"

When you actually file a tax return, you will find the option of "Registering an account for receiving public benefits" in the middle of the procedure. I noticed that.

This is a mechanism to quickly pay emergency benefits, like the 100,000 yen special fixed benefit handed out in 2020. According to the Digital Agency, Mynaportal will be available from the spring of 2022, but it will be introduced earlier for income tax returns.

While it took time for the benefits to arrive in Japan, it became a hot topic that they were distributed quickly in the United States. This is because many people in the United States have registered a bank account when they receive their tax refund, and the money was transferred to that account. With the introduction of a similar system in Japan, I would like to expect future benefits to be paid quickly.