New tax-free “refund method” starts Nov 1; shopping malls add centralised counters
Japan’s new tax-free shopping system, the “refund method”, started on November 1, 2026. On the same day Pie Systems Japan opened a counter at Urban Dock LaLaport Toyosu that handles tax-free procedures for all shops in the facility. It is the company’s 31st counter in Japan, so individual shops do not have to process tax-free sales themselves.
Key points
- The new tax-free “refund method” began on November 1, 2026
- The company describes it as selling at the tax-inclusive price and refunding the consumption tax afterwards
- Its 31st counter in Japan and the 8th opened in 2026
- The company says setup and usage are free and that it connects with POS systems such as Smaregi, Shopify and Square
Background
According to the company, under the refund method tax-free goods are sold at the tax-inclusive price and the equivalent of the consumption tax is returned afterwards. This changes the flow from the previous approach of removing tax at the till, so shops need to review their procedures.
This article is based on a company press release; the service terms are the company’s own description. Details of the system itself should be checked in official information.
What it means for shops
Shops that sell tax-free to visitors need to check how their checkout and refund flow changes. For small shops, whether they handle it themselves or use a centralised counter at their mall or an outside service makes a big difference in workload.
What shops should do
- If you sell tax-free, check in official information how your checkout and refund flow changes
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Summaries are written by Seiichi Studio based on the original releases. Always check the source for the exact details.