Duty-free shop terminal, custom terminal and computer program

Abstract

To rationally realize a refund of a consumption tax, by creating purchased commodity specification data not for each purchase transaction but each purchased commodity.SOLUTION: A duty-free shop comprises: customer ID input means which inputs customer ID for identifying a commodity purchaser; a commodity bar code reader which reads commodity data affixed to a commodity which the commodity purchaser is going to purchase; a credit card reader which inputs settlement data for settling a purchase price based on the commodity data to create settled data; purchase commodity specification data creation means which associates the customer ID with the settled data to create purchase commodity specification data; division data creation means which divides the purchase commodity specification data for each commodity data to create purchase commodity individual data (a, b, c); and purchase commodity specification data transmission means which transmits the purchase commodity individual data to a National Tax Agency server.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 6

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a technology that improves convenience for tax-exempt holders in the operation of the tax-exempt system used by foreign tourists entering Japan and Japanese nationals living overseas who are temporarily returning to Japan (hereinafter referred to as "tax-exempt holders"). [Background technology]

[0002] Even within Japan, there are stores where foreign tourists and Japanese people returning to their home countries temporarily can shop without paying consumption tax, such as airport-style duty-free shops outside the departure counters, if they prove that they are tax-exempt (as will be discussed later, this system will be revised by a legal amendment in 2025). We will refer to such stores as "export goods sales outlets."

[0003] Figure 1 shows the tax exemption system at export goods sales points. This system was introduced to promote convenience for travelers and consumption. When foreign travelers enter the country, the Japanese government affixes a "landing permission seal" to their passport. Travelers then present their passport and the attached "landing permission seal" to a duty-free shop. The duty-free shop determines whether or not the item is eligible for duty-free exemption based on the passport information and the contents of the purchased item, and if eligible, the traveler is exempt from paying consumption tax at the time of purchase. In this case, the export goods sales outlet is required to send (report) passport and residence status data and purchased item data to the National Tax Agency server.

[0004] The tax-exempt system, which has been operated as described above, will be partially revised. The revisions include the abolition of the exemption from paying consumption tax when making purchases within Japan at "export goods sales points" (see Figure 2), which has been available until now. More specifically, even if tax-exempt holders, primarily foreign tourists, purchase goods at export goods sales points, they will still have to pay the full price, including consumption tax. Furthermore, if a tax-exempt holder is found to be taking goods purchased at an export goods sales point out of the country during a customs inspection upon departure, the system will be changed to one in which the export goods sales point will refund the amount of consumption tax they paid (see Figure 3).

[0005] As shown in Figure 3, at an export goods sales outlet (duty-free shop), each time a duty-free item is sold (1), duty-free sales data including purchase item details data and purchaser passport data is sent to the National Tax Agency server (duty-free sales management system) associated with the National Tax Agency, and the data is accumulated (2). When a foreign traveler departs the country, the departure customs office checks the passport presented by the foreign traveler (3). In other words, the departure customs office checks the purchase item details data linked to the passport data (passport number). Then, if necessary, it conducts an inspection (4). The results of the check (or inspection) are registered in the duty-free sales management system (5). The check results are saved in the duty-free sales management system (6). Then, once it is confirmed that the foreign traveler has departed the country, the consumption tax amount is refunded (by online remittance, etc.) (7).

[0006] An image of the procedures for amending and changing the system is shown in Figure 4.

[0007] For example, Patent Document 1 discloses technology that supports foreign tourists in selecting and purchasing tax-free products at duty-free shops, etc. It helps foreign tourists understand the products and supports them in a consistent scheme from product selection to purchase and determination of tax-free conditions.

[0008] For example, Patent Document 2 states: A technique for improving the efficiency of the creation of tax-free sales documents in response to the increase in opportunities for tax-free sales is disclosed. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0009] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 6947427 [Patent Document 2] Patent No. 7024770 DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0010] The number of foreign tourists who visited Japan in the year from April 2022 totaled more than 25 million. The amount of duty-free sales by these tourists reached more than 600 billion yen. With the end of the COVID-19 pandemic and the weak yen as a backdrop, the number of foreign tourists visiting Japan is on the rise. As a result, it is predicted that the number of duty-free goods sold will continue to increase.

[0011] Assuming that the number of duty-free goods sold will continue to increase, it is not realistic to carry out the inspection (4) shown in Figure 3 for all items. Therefore, by introducing kiosk terminals, foreign travelers will be able to carry out the procedure (3) of presenting their passports themselves.

[0012] The procedure for receiving a consumption tax refund when leaving the country (the procedure for proving that the purchased goods have actually been exported by adding the fact that the foreign traveler has left the country to the purchase details data sent to the National Tax Agency server when purchasing goods at a duty-free shop) will also be carried out at the kiosk terminal.

[0013] Using Figure 5, we will explain the anticipated problems with the tax exemption procedures that will start in 2025 based on the legal amendments. Let's say a foreign tourist, Mr. A, purchases bag A, watch B, and cosmetics C all at once at an export goods sales counter (duty-free shop). In this case, the duty-free shop terminal directly connected to the register creates a single transaction data item list (purchase item data (z)) by linking it to Mr. A's passport data. The created purchase item data (z) is sent to and saved in the duty-free sales management system (National Tax Agency server).

[0014] Let's say that Mr. A, mentioned above, bought cosmetics C at a duty-free shop, opened it during his trip, consumed it, or gave it away (resold it), and then tried to go through customs to go through departure procedures.The customs officer enters the passport data from Mr. A's passport into a customs terminal, and obtains the purchase data (z) linked to that passport data from the National Tax Agency server.

[0015] The items purchased at the duty-free shop in Mr. A's luggage for departure are bag a and watch b, but do not include cosmetics c, which he opened and consumed or gave away (resold). In this case, the bag a, watch b, and cosmetics c listed in the purchase data do not match the unopened items bag a and watch b that Mr. A had in his possession just before departing. As a result, the refund of the consumption tax imposed on bag a and watch b will be denied.

[0016] Mr. A will not be dissatisfied with the fact that he will still have to pay consumption tax on cosmetics c because he consumed them in Japan, but he will be dissatisfied with the fact that he will not receive a refund of consumption tax on bag a and watch b. On the other hand, in a tax-free sales management system, it is rational to create purchased product detail data for each purchase transaction rather than for each purchased product in order to avoid complexity.

[0017] The problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide a technology that enables a consumption tax refund to be made in a rational manner by creating purchase item detail data for each purchased item, rather than for each purchase transaction. [Means for solving the problem]

[0018] In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the present invention provides a system (device) that creates purchased product detail data for each purchased tax-free product, and a computer program that controls the system.

[0019] (First Invention) The first invention relates to a duty-free shop terminal that is installed in an export goods sales area (duty-free shop) and transmits data on duty-free goods purchased by a duty-free qualification holder to a National Tax Agency server related to a duty-free sales management system. The duty-free shop terminal includes a customer ID input means (for example, a passport data input means) for inputting a customer ID for identifying a purchaser of a product; a product data input means (for example, a product barcode reader) for reading product data attached to the product that the product purchaser is about to purchase; a payment data creation means (e.g., a credit card reader) for creating payment data by inputting payment data for calculating the purchase amount based on the product data input by the product data input means; a purchase item detail data creation means for creating purchase item detail data by linking the customer ID to the settlement data; a divided data creating means for dividing the purchase product detail data for each of the product data to create individual purchase product data (a, b, c); a purchase item detail data transmission means for transmitting the individual purchase item data to the National Tax Agency server; Duty-free terminal equipped with (See Figure 7).

[0020] "Customer ID" is information (data) obtained by a duty-free shop when a purchaser makes a duty-free purchase to identify the purchaser. Passport data is the most common. When checking whether a purchaser is eligible to purchase duty-free goods, if the purchaser's eligibility is confirmed based on the passport and landing permission sticker presented by the purchaser, information (data) such as passport number, nationality, and name will be the customer ID. If the purchaser presents "Visit Japan Web" to purchase duty-free goods, the data obtained from "Visit Japan Web" will be the customer ID.

[0021] The "divided data creation means" can divide data by product data, or by the sales floor where the data was purchased, or by a fixed amount (for example, 5,000 yen). The division is performed by adjusting the code to match the delimiter and format of the data in the purchase product detail data that is the source of the division.

[0022] (action) A customer ID for identifying a product purchaser is input by a customer ID input means. Product data input means reads product data attached to the product that the product purchaser is about to purchase. Settlement data for settling the purchase amount based on the product data input by the product data input means is input by a settled data creation means to create settled data. The customer ID is linked to the settled data, and the purchase item detail data creation means creates the purchase item detail data. The divided data creation means divides the purchase item detail data for each item data to create individual purchase item data (a, b, c). The created individual purchase item data is sent to the National Tax Agency server by the purchase item detail data transmission means.

[0023] At customs, a person who wishes to apply for a consumption tax refund presents an identification card (such as a passport) containing a customer ID to a customs officer. The customs officer reads the customer ID from the presented identification card using a customer ID reader connected to a customs terminal. The customs officer then accesses the National Tax Agency server and obtains the individual purchased product data (a, b, c) linked to that customer ID.

[0024] A person requesting a consumption tax refund presents a group of items purchased at a duty-free shop and to be taken out of the country to a customs official. The customs official confirms that the individual purchase item data (a, b, c) is actually included in the group of items presented, and then carries out the procedure to authorize the consumption tax refund. The person requesting a consumption tax refund can receive the consumption tax refund except for items that are not in their possession or have been opened.

[0025] (Variation 1 of the first invention) The duty-free shop terminal according to the first aspect of the present invention can be configured as follows. That is, the purchase item detail data transmitting means also transmits the purchase item detail data (z) created by the purchase item detail data creating means to the National Tax Agency server (see FIG. 8).

[0026] (action) For a foreign traveler who has brought all of the duty-free items through departure customs, data processing can be performed more easily using the purchase item details data (z) than using the individual purchase item data (a, b, c).

[0027] (Second Invention) A second invention relates to a computer program for controlling the duty-free shop terminal according to the first invention. The duty-free shop terminal is installed in an export goods sales area (duty-free shop) and transmits data on duty-free goods purchased by a duty-free qualification holder to a National Tax Agency server related to the duty-free sales management system. The computer program A customer ID input procedure for inputting a customer ID to identify the product purchaser; a product data input step of reading product data attached to the product that the product purchaser is about to purchase; a settled data creation step of creating settled data by inputting settlement data for settling the purchase amount based on the product data input in the product data input step; a purchase item detail data creation step for creating purchase item detail data by linking the customer ID to the settlement data; a divided data creation step of dividing the purchase item detail data for each of the item data to create individual purchase item data; a purchase item detail data transmission procedure for transmitting the individual purchase item data to the National Tax Agency server; The computer program is configured to cause the duty-free shop terminal to execute the above.

[0028] The computer program of the second invention is executed using a CPU as a calculation device provided in the duty-free shop terminal, a data input device for inputting various data via wireless communication or serial communication, a volatile memory for temporarily storing data to be calculated, and a non-volatile memory (for example, a hard disk drive) for storing data.

[0029] (Variation of the second invention) The second invention can be formed as follows. That is, in the purchase item detail data transmission procedure, the purchase item detail data created in the purchase item detail data creation procedure is also transmitted to the National Tax Agency server (see FIG. 8).

[0030] (Third Invention) The third invention relates to a customs terminal used to obtain purchase data on duty-free goods purchased by a tax-exempt holder at an export goods sales outlet (duty-free shop) from a National Tax Agency server related to a duty-free sales management system, and to verify the data for consumption tax refunds. The customs terminal includes a customer ID input means for inputting a customer ID for identifying the purchaser of the product; a purchase item detail data receiving means for receiving purchase item detail data relating to duty-free items purchased by a tax-exempt qualification holder associated with the customer ID from the National Tax Agency server; a divided data creating means for creating individual purchased product data (a, b, c) by dividing the purchased product detail data for each product data included in the purchased product detail data; a divided data output means for outputting the individual purchase product data (a, b, c); (See Figure 10.)

[0031] (action) A customer ID for identifying a product purchaser is input by a customer ID input means. Purchased product detail data receiving means receives purchased product detail data relating to tax-free products purchased by a tax-exempt qualification holder associated with the customer ID from the National Tax Agency server. Divided data creation means divides the purchased product detail data for each product data included in the purchased product detail data to create individual purchased product data (a, b, c). Then, divided data output means outputs the individual purchased product data (a, b, c).

[0032] Customs officials compare the individual purchase item data (a, b, c) output by the customs terminal's divided data output means with the purchase items brought to the departure customs by the foreign traveler who presented their customer ID. At that time, even if some of the purchased items brought have been used or are no longer in their possession, the items that can be matched with the individual purchase item data will be processed as eligible for a consumption tax refund. For the foreign traveler, even if they have consumed or no longer have some of the purchased items, they will still be able to receive a consumption tax refund for the remaining items.

[0033] (Fourth Invention) A fourth aspect of the present invention relates to a computer program for controlling the customs terminal according to the third aspect of the present invention. The customs terminal obtains purchase data on duty-free goods purchased by tax-exempt holders at export goods sales points (duty-free shops) from the National Tax Agency server related to the duty-free sales management system, and uses this data to verify the purchase data for consumption tax refunds. The computer program that controls the customs terminal includes a customer ID input procedure for inputting a customer ID to identify the purchaser of the product, a purchase item detail data receiving procedure for receiving, from the National Tax Agency server, purchase item detail data relating to duty-free items purchased by a tax-exempt qualification holder associated with the customer ID; a divided data creation step of dividing the purchase item detail data for each item data included in the purchase item detail data to create individual purchase item data (a, b, c); A divided data output procedure for outputting the individual purchase product data (a, b, c) The computer program is executed by the customs terminal.

[0034] The computer program of the fourth invention is executed using a CPU as a calculation device provided in the customs terminal, a data input device for inputting various data via wireless communication or serial communication, a volatile memory for temporarily storing data to be calculated, a non-volatile memory (e.g., a hard disk drive) for storing data, etc.

[0035] (Fifth Invention) The fifth invention relates to a customs terminal (kiosk terminal) that obtains purchase data on duty-free goods purchased by a tax-exempt holder at an export goods sales outlet (duty-free shop) from a National Tax Agency server related to a duty-free sales management system and uses the data to verify the purchase data for consumption tax refunds (see Figures 11 and 12). The customs terminal includes a customer ID input means (for example, a passport data input means) for inputting a customer ID for identifying the purchaser of the product; a purchase item detail data receiving means for receiving purchase item detail data (z) relating to the duty-free items purchased by the tax-exempt qualification holder associated with the customer ID from the National Tax Agency server; a product data input means (e.g., a barcode reader) for inputting product data (a, b) for identifying the purchased product that the product purchaser intends to take abroad; data comparison means for comparing the individual purchase product data (a, b, c) divided into each product data included in the purchase product detail data (z) with the product data (a, b); a refund data creation means for authorizing a consumption tax refund for purchased items (a, b) to be taken abroad, which are related to common data as a result of comparison by the data comparison means; Equipped with.

[0036] (action) A customer ID for identifying a product purchaser is inputted through a customer ID input means. Purchase product detail data (z) relating to the tax-free products purchased by the tax-exempt qualification holder associated with the customer ID is received from the National Tax Agency server through a purchase product detail data receiving means. Meanwhile, product data (a, b) for identifying the purchased products that the product purchaser intends to take out of the country is inputted through a product data input means.

[0037] The data comparison means compares the individual purchase product data (a, b, c) divided by product data included in the purchase product detail data (z) with the product data (a, b).The refund data creation means approves a consumption tax refund (for example, outputs a certificate of approval) for the purchase products (a, b) that are taken overseas and that have common data as a result of the comparison.

[0038] The customs terminals may be operated by customs officials or by foreign travelers who are about to depart the country through customs. If the foreign travelers operate the terminals themselves, the workload of the customs officials can be reduced.

[0039] (Variation of the fifth invention) The fifth invention may be formed as follows. That is, a divided data creating means is provided for creating individual purchase product data (a, b, c) by dividing the purchase product detail data (z) for each product data included in the purchase product detail data (z), The data comparison means compares the individual purchase product data (a, b, c) created by the divided data creation means with the product data (a, b) (see FIG. 11).

[0040] (Sixth Invention) This relates to a computer program that controls a customs terminal used to obtain purchase data on duty-free goods purchased by tax-exempt holders at export goods sales outlets from the National Tax Agency server related to the duty-free sales management system, and to verify the data for consumption tax refunds. The computer program includes a customer ID input procedure for inputting a customer ID for identifying a product purchaser; a purchase item detail data receiving procedure for receiving, from the National Tax Agency server, purchase item detail data relating to duty-free items purchased by a tax-exempt qualification holder associated with the customer ID; a product data input step for inputting product data for identifying the purchased product to be taken abroad by the product purchaser; a data comparison step of comparing the individual purchase product data divided into each product data included in the purchase product detail data with the product data; a refund data creation procedure for authorizing a consumption tax refund for purchases to be taken abroad relating to data common to the comparison result of the data comparison procedure; The above-mentioned customs terminal is caused to execute the above.

[0041] The computer program of the sixth invention is also executed using a CPU as a calculation device provided in the customs terminal, a data input device for inputting various data via wireless communication or serial communication, a volatile memory for temporarily storing data to be calculated, and a non-volatile memory (e.g., a hard disk drive) for storing data.

[0042] (Variation of the sixth invention) The sixth invention may be formed as follows. That is, the customs terminal is also caused to execute a divided data creation procedure for creating individual purchase product data by dividing the purchase product detail data for each product data included in the purchase product detail data, The data comparison procedure involves comparing the individual purchase product data created in the divided data creation procedure with the product data.

[0043] (Provision of computer programs) The computer programs according to the second, fourth and sixth inventions may be provided by being stored on a recording medium. Here, a "recording medium" refers to a medium that can carry a program that does not occupy space by itself, such as a flexible disk, hard disk, CD-R, CD-RW, MO (magneto-optical disk), DVD-R, DVD-RW, or flash memory. It is also possible to transmit the program according to the present invention from a computer storing the program to other terminal means via a communication line. [Effects of the Invention]

[0044] According to the first invention, by creating purchase item detail data for each purchased item rather than for each purchase transaction, it is possible to provide a duty-free shop terminal that can rationally realize a refund of consumption tax. According to the second invention, it is possible to provide a control program for a duty-free shop terminal that can rationally realize a refund of consumption tax by creating purchase item detail data for each purchased item rather than for each purchase transaction. According to the third and fifth inventions, by creating purchase item detail data for each purchased item rather than for each purchase transaction, it is possible to provide a customs terminal that can rationally realize a refund of consumption tax. According to the fourth and sixth inventions, a control program for a customs terminal can be provided that can rationally realize a refund of consumption tax by creating purchase item detail data for each purchased item rather than for each purchase transaction. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0045] [Figure 1] This is a conceptual diagram showing the current structure of duty-free shops. [Figure 2] This is a conceptual diagram showing the exemption from paying consumption tax that has been available at duty-free shops (from the National Tax Agency website). [Figure 3] This is a conceptual diagram showing the consumption tax refund system that will be introduced in 2025 (from a document provided by the National Tax Agency). [Figure 4] This is a diagram showing an outline of the procedures that will be changed from 2025 (from materials provided by the National Tax Agency). [Figure 5] This is a conceptual diagram showing anticipated problems with tax exemption procedures from 2025. [Figure 6] 1 is a conceptual diagram showing the relationship between a duty-free shop, a National Tax Agency server, and a customs terminal in order to illustrate the duty-free shop terminal according to the present application. [Figure 7] 1 is a block diagram showing a data processing procedure in a duty-free shop terminal according to the present application. [Figure 8] 1 is a block diagram showing a data processing procedure in a duty-free shop terminal according to the present application. [Figure 9] 1 is a conceptual diagram showing the relationship between a duty-free shop, a National Tax Agency server, and a customs terminal in order to illustrate the customs terminal according to the present application. [Figure 10] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a data processing procedure in the customs terminal according to the present application. [Figure 11] 1 is a block diagram showing a data processing procedure in a customs terminal (kiosk terminal) according to the present application. [Figure 12] 1 is a block diagram showing a data processing procedure in a customs terminal (kiosk terminal) according to the present application. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0046] The present invention will be described below based on embodiments. The drawings used here are Fig. 6 to Fig. 12. Fig. 1 to Fig. 5 will also be referenced as necessary. In the drawings, wireless communication is indicated by a dashed double-dashed arrow, and wired communication is indicated by a solid arrow.

[0047] (Figure 6) Figure 6 conceptually illustrates data processing when purchasing duty-free goods in an embodiment of the present invention. It shows the order in which data sent from a duty-free shop terminal at a duty-free shop (export goods sales area) is used at a customs terminal via the National Tax Agency server.

[0048] Mr. A, a foreign tourist, purchases bag A, watch B, and cosmetic product C at a duty-free shop. Mr. A presents his passport when making his purchase. At the duty-free shop's register (duty-free shop terminal), Mr. A's passport data is entered, and the total price including consumption tax for bag A, watch B, and cosmetic product C is shown to Mr. A. Mr. A pays the total price shown.

[0049] The duty-free shop terminal creates (and presents to Mr. A) purchase item detail data (z) including the total price including consumption tax for bag a, watch b, and cosmetics c, as well as Mr. A's passport data, and also creates individual purchase item data (a, b, c) for each item in the purchase item detail data (z).

[0050] The created purchase item detail data (z) and individual purchase item data (a, b, c) are sent to the National Tax Agency server, where the received data is stored.

[0051] When Mr. A leaves Japan, he goes through customs to request a refund of the consumption tax he paid on duty-free goods. He first presents his passport to a customs officer, who then retrieves the passport data and enters it into a customs terminal.

[0052] The customs terminal obtains the purchase data (a, b, c) linked to the passport data from the National Tax Agency server and outputs the obtained purchase data (a, b, c). The customs officer compares the purchase data (a, b) that Mr. A is trying to take out of the country with the purchase data (a, b, c). The customs officer then proceeds to approve the refund of the consumption tax for the purchase data (a, b) that Mr. A is taking out of the country.

[0053] Let's say that Mr. A purchased bag A, watch B, and cosmetic C, but either did not keep or consumed cosmetic C. In this case, the purchase data obtained by the customs officer from the National Tax Agency server will not match the items Mr. A took out of the country. However, because purchase data is created for each product, not for each purchase, the consumption tax refund for bag A and watch B will be approved.

[0054] (Figure 7) FIG. 7 is a block diagram for explaining in detail the functions of the duty-free shop terminal shown in FIG. Passport data (customer ID) is entered from the passport using a customer ID input means. The customer ID input means mainly uses an OCR reader (passport reader) that mechanically reads the characters written on the passport, or a data reader that can read the IC chip embedded in the passport via short-range wireless communication. If the OCR reader or data reader is malfunctioning, the numeric keypad on the register can be used as an auxiliary input means.

[0055] For the products that Mr. A is trying to purchase, the product data input means reads the product data from each product. The product data input means mainly uses a barcode reader that reads the barcode on the tag attached to the product. If the barcode reader is not working properly, the numeric keypad on the register becomes an auxiliary input means.

[0056] Once Mr. A has finished inputting data for all the products he wishes to purchase using the product data input means, the duty-free shop clerk will present Mr. A with the total amount including consumption tax. Mr. A then goes through the payment procedure. Figure 7 shows a credit card as an example. That is, Mr. A's payment means is a credit card, and the duty-free shop terminal obtains the data necessary for payment from the IC chip embedded in the credit card. Then, the payment completion data creation means creates payment completion data.

[0057] The payment completion data is converted into purchase item detail data (z) together with the customer ID by the purchase item detail data creation means. The purchase item detail data includes passport data to identify the purchaser, a duty-free store ID indicating the store where the purchase was made, the date and time the payment was completed, and a list of the purchased items.

[0058] The created purchase item detail data (z) is remade into purchase item individual data (a, b, c) divided for each purchase item by the divided data creation means, and then transmitted to the National Tax Agency server by the purchase item detail data transmission means.

[0059] (Figure 8) FIG. 8 shows a slightly different embodiment of the functionality of the duty-free terminal shown in FIG.

[0060] In the embodiment shown in Fig. 7, the purchase product detail data transmission means transmits only the purchase product individual data (a, b, c) to the National Tax Agency server. In the embodiment shown in Fig. 8, the data transmitted by the purchase product detail data transmission means to the National Tax Agency server includes the purchase product detail data (z) in addition to the purchase product individual data (a, b, c).

[0061] At customs, it is not always the case that the purchased goods brought by foreign tourists seeking a consumption tax refund do not match the purchase item detail data (z). When they do match, it is easier to check the purchase item detail data (z) than the individual purchase item data (a, b, c). Customs officials can carry out their work more efficiently by using these two types of data appropriately.

[0062] (Figure 9) Fig. 9 conceptually shows data processing when a tax-free item is purchased in an embodiment of the present invention. The difference from Fig. 6 is that the tax-free shop terminal creates only the purchased item detail data (z) and sends it to the National Tax Agency server, and the customs terminal divides the purchased item detail data (z) as necessary.

[0063] (Figure 10) FIG. 10 is a block diagram for explaining in detail the functions of the customs terminal shown in FIG.

[0064] At customs, passport data is entered into a passport data input means from the passport of foreign traveler A. This passport data input means is the same as the customer ID input means shown in Figure 7, and mainly uses a data reader that can read data from the IC chip embedded in the passport via short-range wireless communication.

[0065] Next, the customs terminal receives the purchased product detail data (z) linked to the acquired passport data from the National Tax Agency server using the purchased product data receiving means.Then, the received purchased product detail data (z) is divided by product using the divided data creating means to create individual purchased product data (a, b, c).

[0066] The customs officer outputs the individual purchase data (a, b, c) using the divided data output means and compares it with the unopened items (bag a and watch b) purchased by Mr. A at the duty-free shop. He then approves the consumption tax refund for bag a and watch b.

[0067] In addition, if foreign tourist A brings all of the products he purchased at the duty-free shop through customs, the matching process can be performed using the purchased product detail data (z) rather than the individual purchased product data (a, b, c) created by the split data creation means.

[0068] (Figure 11) Figure 11 shows a kiosk terminal that can be operated not only by customs officials but also by foreign tourists themselves, and that can carry out the consumption tax refund procedure. This does not exclude the customs officials from operating the kiosk terminal.

[0069] Regarding the products purchased by foreign tourist A at a duty-free shop, the purchase details data (z) linked to the passport data is stored on the National Tax Agency server from the duty-free shop terminal.

[0070] Foreign traveler A inputs passport data from his / her passport using a passport data input means (for example, an IC chip data reading means) in the kiosk terminal. After acquiring the passport data, the kiosk terminal uses a purchase data receiving means to acquire purchase item detail data (z) linked to the passport data from the National Tax Agency server.

[0071] The received purchase product detail data (z) is divided by the divided data creating means for creating individual purchase product data (a, b, c) for each item of product data included in the purchase product detail data.

[0072] Foreign traveler A uses a product data input means (for example, a barcode reader) at the kiosk terminal to read the barcodes of the products (bag a, watch b) he wishes to take out of the country.

[0073] The data comparison means compares the individual purchase product data (a, b, c) created by the divided data creation means with the product data (a, b) read by the product data input means.Then, the refund data creation means creates refund data for the products common to both data, to be used for the refund procedure.

[0074] Although the kiosk terminals mentioned above are operated by foreign travelers themselves, customs officials can also operate them on behalf of foreign travelers. If foreign travelers operate them themselves, it will reduce the workload of customs officials.

[0075] (Figure 12) Figure 12 shows a variation of the kiosk terminal shown in Figure 11. The difference from Figure 11 is that the data obtained from the National Tax Agency server is not the purchased product detail data (z) but individual purchased product data (a, b, c). This assumes that the duty-free shop terminal creates the individual purchased product data (a, b, c) from the purchased product detail data (z) and sends it to the National Tax Agency server in advance.

[0076] In the kiosk terminal, the individual purchase product data (a, b, c) can be directly compared with the product data (a, b) read by the product data input means using the data comparison means. Therefore, the point that the division data creation means is unnecessary is different from the kiosk terminal shown in FIG.

[0077] According to the embodiment described above using Figures 6 to 12, if a foreign tourist purchases goods at a duty-free shop and does not have some of the purchased goods with him / her when he / she leaves the country (for example, by transferring or losing them within Japan), or if he / she uses some of the purchased goods before leaving the country, he / she can receive a refund of the consumption tax on the remaining purchased goods that he / she has with him / her at the time of departure. [Industrial Applicability]

[0078] The present invention is applicable to the retail industry through duty-free shops, the manufacturing industry of communication terminals (cash registers) used in the retail industry, the information and communication service industry, and the software industry that creates computer software used in information and communication services in the retail industry.

Claims

1. A duty-free shop terminal installed at an export goods sales area for transmitting data on duty-free goods purchased by a duty-free qualification holder to a National Tax Agency server related to a duty-free sales management system, a customer ID input means for inputting a customer ID for identifying a product purchaser; a product data input means for reading product data attached to the product that the product purchaser is about to purchase; a settlement data creation means for creating settlement data by inputting settlement data for calculating the purchase amount based on the product data input by the product data input means; a purchase item detail data creation means for creating purchase item detail data by linking the customer ID to the settlement data; a divided data creating means for dividing the purchase item detail data for each of the product data to create individual purchase item data; a purchase item detail data transmission means for transmitting the individual purchase item data to the National Tax Agency server; Duty-free terminal equipped with

2. The purchase item detail data transmission means also transmits the purchase item detail data created by the purchase item detail data creation means to the National Tax Agency server. The duty-free shop terminal according to claim 1.

3. A computer program for controlling a duty-free shop terminal that is installed at an export goods sales site and transmits data on duty-free goods purchased by a duty-free qualification holder to a National Tax Agency server related to a duty-free sales management system, a customer ID input step for inputting a customer ID for identifying a product purchaser; a product data input step of reading product data attached to the product that the product purchaser is about to purchase; a settled data creation step of creating settled data by inputting settlement data for settling the purchase amount based on the product data input in the product data input step; a purchase item detail data creation step for creating purchase item detail data by linking the customer ID to the settlement data; a divided data creation step of dividing the purchase item detail data for each of the item data to create individual purchase item data; a purchase item detail data transmission procedure for transmitting the individual purchase item data to the National Tax Agency server; A computer program that causes the duty-free shop terminal to execute the above.

4. In the procedure for transmitting the purchase item detail data, the purchase item detail data created in the procedure for creating the purchase item detail data is also transmitted to the National Tax Agency server.

4. A computer program according to claim 3.

5. A customs terminal used to acquire purchase data on duty-free goods purchased by a tax-exempt qualification holder at an export goods sales outlet (duty-free shop) from a National Tax Agency server related to a duty-free sales management system and to verify the data for consumption tax refunds, a customer ID input means for inputting a customer ID for identifying a product purchaser; a purchase item detail data receiving means for receiving purchase item detail data relating to the tax-free items purchased by the tax-free qualification holder associated with the customer ID from the National Tax Agency server; a divided data creating means for creating individual purchase product data by dividing the purchase product detail data for each item of product data included in the purchase product detail data; a divided data output means for outputting the individual purchase product data; Customs terminal equipped with

6. A computer program that controls a customs terminal used to obtain purchase data on duty-free goods purchased by a tax-exempt qualification holder at an export goods sales outlet (duty-free shop) from a National Tax Agency server related to a duty-free sales management system and to verify the data for consumption tax refunds, a customer ID input step for inputting a customer ID for identifying a product purchaser; a purchase item detail data receiving step of receiving, from the National Tax Agency server, purchase item detail data relating to the tax-free items purchased by the tax-free qualification holder associated with the customer ID; a divided data creation step of dividing the purchase item detail data into individual purchase item data for each item data included in the purchase item detail data; a divided data output step for outputting the individual purchase product data; A computer program for causing the above-mentioned customs terminal to execute the above.

7. A customs terminal used to acquire purchase data on duty-free goods purchased by a tax-exempt qualification holder at an export goods sales outlet from a National Tax Agency server related to a duty-free sales management system and to verify the data for consumption tax refunds, The customs terminal includes a customer ID input means for inputting a customer ID for identifying a purchaser of a product; a purchase item detail data receiving means for receiving purchase item detail data relating to the tax-free items purchased by the tax-free qualification holder associated with the customer ID from the National Tax Agency server; a product data input means for inputting product data for identifying the purchased product that the product purchaser intends to take abroad; data comparison means for comparing the individual purchase product data divided into each product data included in the purchase product detail data with the product data; a refund data creation means for granting a consumption tax refund for purchases to be taken abroad relating to data that is common as a result of comparison by the data comparison means; Customs terminal equipped with

8. a divided data creating means for creating individual purchase product data by dividing the purchase product detail data for each product data included in the purchase product detail data; The data comparison means compares the individual purchase product data created by the divided data creation means with the product data.

8. A customs terminal according to claim 7.

9. A computer program that controls a customs terminal used to acquire purchase data on duty-free goods purchased by a tax-exempt qualification holder at an export goods sales outlet from a National Tax Agency server related to a duty-free sales management system and to verify the data for consumption tax refunds, a customer ID input step for inputting a customer ID for identifying a product purchaser; a purchase item detail data receiving step of receiving, from the National Tax Agency server, purchase item detail data relating to the tax-free items purchased by the tax-free qualification holder associated with the customer ID; a product data input step for inputting product data for identifying the purchased product to be taken abroad by the product purchaser; a data comparison step of comparing the individual purchase product data divided into each product data included in the purchase product detail data with the product data; a refund data creation procedure for authorizing a consumption tax refund for purchases to be taken abroad relating to data common to the comparison result of the data comparison procedure; A computer program for causing the above-mentioned customs terminal to execute the above.

10. The customs terminal is also caused to execute a divided data creation procedure for creating individual purchase product data by dividing the purchase product detail data for each product data included in the purchase product detail data, The data comparison procedure involves comparing the individual purchase product data created in the divided data creation procedure with the product data.

10. A computer program according to claim 9.

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