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  taj at 01:00 PM JST - 11th October

  If they earn less than 1.03 million yen, spouses count as dependent. I hope that's not the same for 40 year old NEETs!! If it is, I certainly understand why this need to change, and quickly. NandaKandaManda, are your kids over 20 years of age?

  I agree that kids still in school ought to count for something!

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  Azrael at 01:39 PM JST - 11th October

  Perhaps this is some sort of scheme to make things harder for adults living with their parents (called parasite singles, I think) in hopes of forcing them to move out by pressuring the parents on finances.

  One can only hope such a thing won't trigger a higher way of parricide.

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  Azrael at 01:39 PM JST - 11th October

  Typo: Higher wave of parricide.

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  nemoflow at 04:22 PM JST - 11th October

  Isn't this kind of a good thing though?

  I mean, going by what the article says (which gave me a headache reading, by the way JT), the tax break for dependants is going to be cut, but in it's place will be an allowance for children. Currently this would mean any person under 20 living at their parent's house. Honestly don't see how it is that different to a tax break now, where kids are concerned (if the actual amount of cash involved is the same)

  Other dependants of the adult variety; well, just go out there and get a job. The tax break can not save you THAT much, and a part time job by the parasitic member would easily cover the difference.

  The main benefit of this whole thing, would be a manning-up of all the people who stay at home and leech, and more people working, even in part time positions, would mean an overall lower tax rate.

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  Azrael at 06:04 PM JST - 11th October

  Nemoflow: That is what I meant, so I agree with most of what you said. By removing benefits and pressuring financially on the parents it seems like the government hopes to make the parents force out parasite singles. This in turn would force parasite singles to take a larger part in national economy by entering the rental house market (which by the way is highway robbery). Parasite singles would have to furnish their houses, pay utilities and buy their own food, for instance. That would go into the local economy at least. That is just how I see it though; I am not an economist.

  Unfortunately, some parasite singles (not only buy-happy women but also men in their 40s living with mom and dad) are likely to have mental problems derived from stress, feelings of social inadequacy, inferiority complex and fear of fending by themselves (financially). I think that the reaction from parasite singles to being forced out of home may propitiate an increase in the news we already see every week about a parasite single killing his (or her) source of commodity aka their old mother and or father, because the parents curtailed them in some way (asking them to look for a job, refusing to give them more money, even hiding the remote control from them, it seems) and pay with their lives for it. Maybe this sounds apocalyptic, but just from reading JT news for a few years now one can see such a scenario is not unlikely.

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  KallyPygous at 06:04 PM JST - 11th October

  Robbing Peter to pay Paul.

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  my2sense at 07:53 PM JST - 11th October

  well put Azrael...

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  nandakandamanda at 08:10 PM JST - 11th October

  It seems to include the ill, and elderly relatives too who may be dependent on their siblings' incomes...

  In my case, to answer taj above, my daughters have been in and out of work, and whenever they are back home and dependent on me I file for the tax break. This year I won't as they are both working...

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  Hotbox08 at 10:48 PM JST - 11th October

  What about those who are married and whose wives make very little money? Or if their wives couldn't work at all? Under the current law, these people can be considered dependents. However, from my understanding, if this tax break is scrapped, they couldn't. Doesn't seem fair to me.

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  hakujinsensei at 11:46 PM JST - 11th October

  typical govt. double speak. the proposed credit will be just about a wash for most families, with those in the very low income seeing a net gain of probably about 30% as best as I can figure with the scant info available and families of average income taking about a 30% tax hike. this DOES NOT however take into account that there are several areas such as day care where the fee is calculated on the amount of income tax paid. For myself, a slight net gain from higher taxes and a higher direct credit for children will be far more than wiped out by the increase in day care and kindergarten fees. For those of us on national health insurance, there will also be a substantial hit there as well and not to mention those of us who support our parents... at least the the other guys were honest about planing on bending everybody over in order to raise dough to subsidize the banks n corporations.

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  tshirt at 11:55 PM JST - 11th October

  Nothing is free. This change is politically smart, but will push families to make choices. The wife will not have an excuse to not work because doing taxes is too difficult... all of that paperwork and stuff. Junior enjoying pachinko and his arubaito will be a bit more of a headache for pops.

  Let's admit Japan needs more kids, maybe this plan will help do that. Large scale immigration isn't going to happen. The government will try to make the beginning of life easy and carefree, and the end gruesome.

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  hakujinsensei at 12:18 AM JST - 12th October

  definitely politically smart. raise taxes on the middle class while promising relief. make it financially more difficult for moms to stay at home and raise their children. sounds like a well thought at plan endearing the current administration to the middle class that voted them in. I think that mr. hatoyama has spent too much time eating the sun and traveling to distant stars with his bride.

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  kirakira25 at 10:16 AM JST - 12th October

  I would LOVE to go back to work and do a job I was actually trained for (anyone need a part-time systems analyst??!) but it is almost impossible with young kids. I cant even do ALT work because you have to start at 8am - who will take the kids to school? - and finish 4.30 to 5.00 - who will pick them up and keep them safe and happy till I get home? What if theyve had a problem that day and need their Mum? How many companies would be sympathetic when you have to take a week off for flu with one child, only to then have the other child come down with it the following week?

  The best I can do right now is the usual coffee-shop under-the-table 3k an hour teaching jobs which are great in terms of flexibility with children, but pretty soul-destroying after years of uni, training and building up a good career.

  "Encouraging" women back into the work environment is one thing, but the government needs to do something to make it possible for women to do that AND be able to raise children safely and happily. The kids and their happiness have to be my number one priority and that is why I sit day after day watching people far less qualified than me going off to do a job I could do with my eyes closed.

  Its the choice I made, and I dont regret it, but it is frustrating sometimes that there was no way to "balance" things. It is not easy in other countries too, I know my friends in the UK regularly struggle with this issue, but they have husbands who finish at 5, trusted friends in the same boat they can share the responsibilities with, before and after school clubs that actually supervise the kids properly, 5-6 weeks holiday per year that can be taken at any time, and companies that are legally forced to be flexible with working parents.

  Just a few suggestions to help smooth this policy along DPJ!

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  Patrick Smash at 11:00 AM JST - 12th October

  This is where all the money for increased child allowances is coming from. In Japan, the best way to lower all taxes is have a few dependents. Higher income tax equals higher ward tax, so this is a double whammy for those married without kids, where the wife doesn't work.

  If you have young kids, what you lose in the increased tax this creates comes back I guess, but for much older kids, parasites and non-working wives it doesn't. Makes sense really.

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  Yelnats at 11:01 AM JST - 12th October

  This does not make sense to me at all. Will they deposit money in your bank account weekly...monthly...only to have the wife snatch it out and hide it in one of her private bank accounts?

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