Tax-free management apparatus, tax-free management method, and tax-free management program

Abstract

To provide a tax-free management device, a tax-free management method, and a tax-free management program capable of collecting all consumption taxes scheduled to be refunded to a refund applicant and executing tax-free refunds to the refund applicant at a time.SOLUTION: When the tax-free shopping detail data of the refund applicant in each tax-free store is acquired, the total amount of the tax-free target consumption tax of the refund applicant is aggregated in the aggregate account of the financial institution based on the financial institution data and the tax-free shopping detail data, and the completion of customs clearance for the tax-free shopping and the departure of the refund applicant is confirmed, and the tax-free shopping detail data of the tax-free refund target is determined, the refund applicant is refunded with the total refund amount of the tax-free target consumption tax based on the refund applicant data.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a tax exemption management device, a tax exemption management method, and a tax exemption management program. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a technique for executing a value-added tax refund process after a payment process for the purchase amount including the tax-exempt amount has been completed using a credit card, debit card, or the like. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2004-62496 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, the invention described in Patent Document 1 has a problem in that it is not possible to aggregate the total amount of value-added tax to be refunded and to refund applicants in a lump sum.

[0005] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above-mentioned problems, and aims to provide a tax exemption management device, a tax exemption management method, and a tax exemption management program that can aggregate all the consumption taxes to be refunded to refund applicants and execute the tax-exempt refunds to the refund applicants all at once. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In order to solve the above-mentioned problems and achieve the object, the tax-exemption management device of the present invention is a tax-exemption management device that is communicably connected to a terminal device and includes a memory unit and a control unit, wherein the memory unit includes tax-exemption management storage means that stores refund applicant data that sets the refund method of the refund applicant and financial institution data that sets the financial institution account of each tax-free shop, and the control unit includes shopping detail acquisition means that acquires tax-exempt shopping detail data of the refund applicant at each tax-free shop, aggregation means that aggregates the tax-exempt consumption tax amount of the refund applicant at each tax-free shop into an aggregate account of the financial institution based on the financial institution data and the tax-free shopping detail data, and refund means that, when it is confirmed that customs procedures for tax-free purchases have been completed and the tax-free shopping detail data of the refund applicant has been confirmed, refund to the refund applicant a total refund amount that is the sum of the tax-exempt consumption tax amounts for the tax-exempt refund based on the refund applicant data.

[0007] In addition, in the tax-free management device according to the present invention, the aggregation means aggregates the tax-free consumption tax amount of the refund applicant at each of the tax-free shops by sending an instruction to aggregate the tax-free consumption tax amount of the refund applicant at each of the tax-free shops into the aggregation account based on the financial institution data and the tax-free shopping details data to a financial institution system that manages the financial institution accounts of each of the tax-free shops.

[0008] In addition, in the tax-free management device of the present invention, when the completion of the customs procedures for the tax-free purchases and the completion of the departure of the refund applicant are confirmed and tax-free refund confirmation data that aggregates the tax-free purchase detail data eligible for the tax-free refund is received from the terminal device of the National Tax Agency, the refund means sends a refund instruction to the financial institution system that manages the aggregate account to refund the total refund amount, which is the sum of the tax-free consumption tax amount eligible for the tax-free refund, to the refund applicant based on the refund applicant data and the tax-free refund confirmation data, thereby refunding the total refund amount to the refund applicant.

[0009] In addition, in the tax-free management device of the present invention, when the completion of the customs procedures for the tax-free purchases and the completion of the departure of the refund applicant are confirmed, a refund eligible flag is set in the tax-free shopping detail data eligible for the tax-free refund at the terminal device of the National Tax Agency, and the tax-free refund confirmation data consolidating the tax-free shopping detail data is received from the terminal device of the National Tax Agency, the refund means sends the refund instruction to the financial institution system that manages the consolidated account to refund the total refund amount, which is the sum of the tax-free consumption tax amounts eligible for the tax-free refund, to the refund applicant, based on the refund applicant data and the tax-free refund confirmation data, thereby refunding the total refund amount to the refund applicant.

[0010] In addition, in the tax exemption management device according to the present invention, the control unit is characterized by further comprising a registration means for registering the refund applicant data, in which the refund method of the refund applicant is set, in the tax exemption management storage means when an instruction to register the refund method is received from the terminal device of the refund applicant.

[0011] In the tax exemption management apparatus according to the present invention, the refund means is further characterized in that it transmits refund detail data in which the total refund amount of the refund applicant is set to the terminal device of the refund applicant.

[0012] In addition, in the tax exemption management device of the present invention, the refund applicant data further includes a passport number of the refund applicant, the tax exemption refund confirmation data further includes the passport number of the refund applicant, and the refund means further transmits a refund instruction to the financial institution system that manages the consolidated account, based on the refund applicant data and the tax exemption refund confirmation data, to refund to the financial institution account of each tax free shop a total refund consumption tax amount, which is the sum of the tax exempt consumption tax amount not eligible for the tax exemption refund for each tax free shop.

[0013] In addition, in the tax-free management device according to the present invention, the refund means is further characterized in that it transmits to the terminal device of each of the tax-free shops an instruction to pay the tax on the total amount of consumption tax refunded from the consolidated account to each of the tax-free shops.

[0014] Furthermore, in the tax exemption management device according to the present invention, the refund applicant data further includes a contact address of the refund applicant, and the refund means is further configured to send a confirmation notice of intention to receive the refund to the contact address of the refund applicant if there is a defect in the refund method of the refund applicant set in the refund applicant data and the total refund amount cannot be refunded to the refund applicant.

[0015] In addition, in the tax exemption management device according to the present invention, the refund method is characterized in that the refund applicant transfers money to a financial institution account, credit card, or smartphone payment wallet of the refund applicant, or charges a prepaid card or electronic money of the refund applicant.

[0016] Further, the tax exemption management method of the present invention is a tax exemption management method to be executed by a tax exemption management device which is communicatively connected to a terminal device and which has a memory unit and a control unit, the memory unit having tax exemption management storage means which stores refund applicant data which sets a refund method for the refund applicant and financial institution data which sets a financial institution account for each tax free shop, and is characterized by comprising the following steps executed by the control unit: a shopping detail acquisition step of acquiring tax free shopping detail data of the refund applicant at each tax free shop; an aggregation step of aggregating the tax exempt consumption tax amounts of the refund applicant at each tax free shop into an aggregation account of the financial institution based on the financial institution data and the tax free shopping detail data; and a refund step of refunding to the refund applicant a total refund amount which is the sum of the tax exempt consumption tax amounts for the tax exemption refund based on the refund applicant data when it is confirmed that customs procedures for the tax free purchases have been completed and the tax free shopping detail data for the tax free refund has been confirmed.

[0017] Further, a tax exemption management program according to the present invention is a tax exemption management program to be executed by a tax exemption management device which is communicatively connected to a terminal device and which has a memory unit and a control unit, wherein the memory unit comprises tax exemption management storage means which stores refund applicant data which sets the refund method of the refund applicant and financial institution data which sets the financial institution account of each tax free shop, and the control unit is caused to execute the following steps: a shopping detail acquisition step which acquires tax-free shopping detail data of the refund applicant at each tax free shop; aggregating step which aggregates the tax-exempt consumption tax amounts of the refund applicant at each tax free shop into an aggregate account of the financial institution based on the financial institution data and the tax-free shopping detail data; and a refund step which, when it is confirmed that customs procedures for the tax-free purchases have been completed and the tax-free shopping detail data of the refund applicant has been confirmed, refunds to the refund applicant a total refund amount which is the sum of the tax-exempt consumption tax amounts of the tax-exempt refund items based on the refund applicant data. [Effects of the Invention]

[0018] In the past, when the same person shopped at several duty-free shops, the refund process had to be completed for the same person at each of the shops, resulting in additional fees and labor costs for the recipient due to the separate refunds from multiple shops. However, according to the present invention, the resources for tax-free refunds can be consolidated in one place, eliminating the need for refunds at each duty-free shop and allowing refunds to be completed in one place to one person with the same passport number. Furthermore, according to the present invention, foreign travelers receiving refunds can apply for a refund method and account number within a system that verifies their identity. Furthermore, according to the present invention, refund methods that can be verified and recognized in Japan can be registered, and transaction instruction data instructing the refund data and distribution method can be created and sent to bank accounts, international brand credit cards, international brand prepaid cards, international brand smartphone payment wallets, etc. that are authorized for international transactions. In addition, while it was previously impossible to confirm the details of the refund or its breakdown, the present invention allows refund details to be delivered to the recipient's smartphone after the refund is made, allowing them to check the details and facilitate future management. Furthermore, the present invention aggregates data using passport number as a key, compares them, extracts data that will not be refunded and will be subject to consumption tax, creates and transmits consumption tax details for each applicable duty-free shop, and creates instruction data to return the total amount of consumption tax for each shop to the shop. This reduces the complexity of tax processing at shops by creating transaction details by date for duty-free shops that have processed tax exemptions but then changed to consumption tax processing after departure, delivering the transaction details to each shop and returning the corresponding amount to the shop.In addition, in the past, refunds were processed based on refund instruction data, and data that could not be refunded was collected to build a database for the next steps, which placed a heavy burden on dealing with refund data that could not be returned due to an error in the bank account number or credit card number registered by the individual.However, according to the present invention, if the individual is unable to receive the refund when registering their refund account, they can register a contact address, be contacted at this address, and if their intention to receive the money is confirmed, their identity can be verified and a virtual card can be issued and the refund can be made to that card. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0019] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of a conventional tax exemption management process. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of the tax exemption management process in this embodiment. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of the tax exemption management system according to this embodiment. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing an example of the process of the tax exemption management system in this embodiment. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of the tax exemption and later refund process in this embodiment. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an example of the tax exemption and later refund process in this embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0020] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, the present invention is not limited to this embodiment.

[0021] [1. Overview] First, an outline of the present invention will be described. Fig. 1 is a diagram showing an example of a conventional tax exemption management process. Fig. 2 is a diagram showing an example of a tax exemption management process in this embodiment.

[0022] The tax-free system for foreign tourists has long been an important policy tool for expanding inbound consumption by expanding the number of duty-free shops and improving convenience for foreign tourists. However, there has been a steady stream of fraudulent cases, such as diversion of tax at duty-free shops. Even with immediate collection at the time of departure, many of these taxes remain unpaid. This has led to a situation where fraudulent use of the system cannot be ignored, and duty-free shops have been burdened with the burden of conducting tax-free sales while bearing the tax risk. In light of this reality, a fundamental review of the system has been urgently needed, namely, a system in which duty-free sales are established when purchases are confirmed to have been taken out of the country at the time of departure, and duty-free shops refund the amount equivalent to the consumption tax after confirmation. In considering this, a review that takes into account the convenience of travelers, reducing the administrative burden on duty-free shops, and preventing congestion at airports has been called for.

[0023] As shown in Figure 1, in the past, the amount of work required to process tax-free refunds increased, whether at stores with tax-free counters or stores that handled tax-free returns at regular registers. This meant that there was a need to develop system functions and business operations that would prevent this increase in work.

[0024] Therefore, as shown in Figure 2, in the past, duty-free shops sold products including consumption tax at the storefront, confirmed tax-free at the duty-free counter, refunded the consumption tax, and registered passport data and tax-free purchase detail data in the tax-free management system. However, in this embodiment, sales are made including consumption tax at the storefront, confirmed tax-free at the duty-free counter, registered passport data and tax-free purchase detail data in the tax-free management system, confirmed registration of a refund account for tax-free refunds, and if not registered, provided is a system that supports new registration and setup.

[0025] As shown in Figure 2, in the past, foreign visitors to Japan would go through the tax-free procedure to receive a refund of the consumption tax on the same day they purchased tax-free goods, present their passport during the tax-free procedure, have their tax-free goods inspected, receive cash for the amount of the consumption tax minus a handling fee, and wait in line for a long time to complete the tax-free procedure. However, in this embodiment, foreign visitors to Japan present their passport when purchasing tax-free goods, have their identity and the tax-free goods inspected, and register their refund receiving account in advance or during the tax-free procedure.

[0026] 2, in the past, customs inspected the baggage of foreigners departing the country, and some foreigners had a lot of luggage or behaved suspiciously, but in this embodiment, the registered data in the tax-free management system linked to the passport of the foreigner departing the country is checked, the baggage of foreigners who make large purchases or purchase many items is inspected, and if the registered data does not match the baggage inspection results, the foreigner is notified that only items confirmed by the inspection will be eligible for tax exemption, and the inspection results of all foreigners departing the country are registered in the tax-free management system.To this end, in this embodiment, the confirmed data is received from the tax-free management system, saved, and tax-free refunds are made based on the saved data, and refund methods such as bank transfer, credit card account transfer, prepaid account transfer, or smartphone account transfer are set, and data on items that could not be refunded is collected and detailed data for the next action is created.

[0027] As described above, in the past, it was not possible to know if a purchased product was sold through e-commerce (electronic commerce) after receiving a consumption tax refund at a store, leading to consumption tax being omitted. Furthermore, while passport-linked tax-free purchase confirmation could confirm the time of purchase, it could not confirm the cumulative amount, so baggage carried at the time of departure and the purchased product could not be matched, making it impossible to properly process tax-free transactions. However, in this embodiment, a tax-free management system is in operation, and tax-free shopping details are registered at all duty-free stores, so it is now possible to match each passport's tax-free purchases with baggage carried at the time of departure. Furthermore, in this embodiment, since the matching of purchase data with baggage is not performed on all departing passengers, this alone cannot completely prevent fraud. However, since the tax-free refund is issued after departure, the refund is also received after departure. Therefore, by verifying the identity of the passenger and clarifying passport data, tax-free management can be significantly tightened.

[0028] [2. Duty-free management system configuration] An example of the configuration of a tax exemption management system in which terminal devices 100 (terminal device 100-1 of the refund applicant, terminal device 100-2 of the National Tax Agency, and terminal device 100-3 of the tax free shop) according to this embodiment, a server (tax exemption management device) 200, and a financial institution system (electronic banking system) 500 are communicably connected will be described with reference to Fig. 3. Fig. 3 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of the tax exemption management system in this embodiment.

[0029] [Configuration of terminal device 100] In FIG. 3, the terminal device 100 may be a mobile terminal such as a mobile phone, a smartphone, a tablet terminal, a PHS, a PDA (Personal Digital Assistant) or a code reader (e.g., a QR Code (registered trademark) reader), a commercially available desktop or notebook personal computer, or an information processing device such as a workstation.

[0030] The terminal device 100 includes a control unit 102, a storage unit 106, and an input / output unit 112, and the units included in the terminal device 100 are communicably connected via any communication path.

[0031] The input / output unit 112 may have a function for inputting and outputting data (I / O). Here, the input / output unit 112 may be, for example, a key input unit, a touch panel, a control pad (e.g., a touch pad, a game pad, etc.), a mouse, a keyboard, a microphone, etc. The input / output unit 112 may also be a display unit (e.g., a display, monitor, touch panel, etc., made of liquid crystal or organic electroluminescence, etc.) that displays (input / output) data of application software, etc. The input / output unit 112 may also be an audio output unit (e.g., a speaker, etc.) that outputs audio data as audio. The input / output unit 112 may also be an image input unit (e.g., a camera, etc.) that records images (still images and videos) captured by an imaging element such as a CCD image sensor or a CMOS image sensor as digital data. The input / output unit 112 may also be a fingerprint sensor, a camera (e.g., an infrared camera, etc.) that can be used for iris authentication or face authentication, etc., and / or a biometric sensor such as a vein sensor.

[0032] The terminal device 100 has a function of communicatively connecting to other devices via a network 300 and communicating data with the other devices. Here, the network 300 has a function of communicatively connecting the terminal device 100 to the other devices, and is, for example, the Internet and / or a LAN (Local Area Network), etc.

[0033] The storage unit 106 stores various databases, tables, and / or files. The storage unit 106 stores computer programs that cooperate with an operating system (OS) to issue commands to a central processing unit (CPU) to perform various processes. The storage unit 106 may be, for example, a random access memory (RAM), a read-only memory (ROM), a hard disk drive (HDD), and / or a solid state drive (SSD). The storage unit 106 may store image data recorded by the input / output unit 112, data received via the network 300, and / or input data input via the input / output unit 112.

[0034] The control unit 102 is a CPU or the like that performs overall control of the terminal device 100. The control unit 102 has an internal memory for storing control programs such as an OS, programs that define various processing procedures, and required data, and executes various information processes based on these stored programs. For example, the control unit 102 may execute processes such as acquiring image data recorded in the input / output unit 112, reading character data (such as a URL) included in the image data, sending and receiving data via the network 300, acquiring input data entered via the input / output unit 112, and displaying data (on the screen) on the output unit 114. The control unit 102 may also execute optical character recognition (OCR) processing.

[0035] [Server 200 configuration] 3, server 200 may be an information processing device such as a personal computer or a workstation. Server 200 includes a control unit 202 and a storage unit 206, and the units included in server 200 are connected to each other so as to be able to communicate with each other via any communication path. Server 200 is connected to other devices via network 300 so as to be able to communicate with each other.

[0036] The memory unit 206 stores various databases, tables, and / or files. The memory unit 206 stores computer programs that work in cooperation with the OS to issue instructions to the CPU to perform various processes. The memory unit 206 is a storage means such as RAM, ROM, HDD, and / or SSD, and stores various databases and tables. Functionally, the memory unit 206 is equipped with a duty-free management database 206a.

[0037] The tax exemption management database 206a stores tax exemption management data. The tax exemption management database 206a may store refund applicant data, which sets the refund applicant's refund method, and financial institution data, which sets the financial institution account of each tax-free shop. The refund applicant data may include the refund applicant's passport number. The refund applicant data may also include the refund applicant's contact address. The refund method may be remittance to the refund applicant's financial institution account, credit card, and / or smartphone payment wallet, and / or charging the refund applicant's prepaid card and / or electronic money. The tax exemption management database 206a may also include financial institution data, including the financial institution account number and account holder name, deposit data, and / or credit card data, including the credit card number, registered name, and / or security code. The refund applicant data may also include the refund applicant's name, address, telephone number, email address, and / or password.

[0038] The control unit 202 is a CPU or the like that performs overall control of the server 200. The control unit 202 has an internal memory for storing control programs such as an OS, programs that define various processing procedures, required data, etc., and executes various information processing based on these stored programs. Functionally, the control unit 202 conceptually comprises a registration unit 202a, a shopping details acquisition unit 202b, a collection unit 202c, and a refund unit 202d.

[0039] The registration unit 202a registers the tax exemption management data in the tax exemption management database 206a. Here, when the registration unit 202a receives an instruction to register a refund method from the terminal device 100-1 of the refund applicant, the registration unit 202a may register the refund applicant data in which the refund method of the refund applicant is set in the tax exemption management database 206a.

[0040] The shopping details acquiring unit 202b acquires tax-free shopping details data. Here, the shopping details acquiring unit 202b may acquire tax-free shopping details data of the refund applicant at each tax-free shop.

[0041] The aggregation unit 202c aggregates the tax-exempt consumption tax amounts of the refund applicants at each tax-free shop into an aggregation account at the financial institution. Here, the aggregation unit 202c may aggregate the tax-exempt consumption tax amounts of the refund applicants at each tax-free shop into an aggregation account at the financial institution based on the financial institution data and the tax-free shopping detail data. Furthermore, the aggregation unit 202c may aggregate the tax-exempt consumption tax amounts of the refund applicants at each tax-free shop (e.g., into an account in the financial institution system 500-2) by sending an instruction to the financial institution system 500 (e.g., financial institution system 500-1) that manages the financial institution accounts of each tax-free shop to aggregate the tax-exempt consumption tax amounts (e.g., into an account in the financial institution system 500-2) based on the financial institution data and the tax-free shopping detail data.

[0042] The refund unit 202d refunds the tax-exempt consumption tax amount eligible for the tax-exempt refund to the refund applicant. Here, when the completion of customs procedures for the tax-free purchases and the completion of the refund applicant's departure from the country are confirmed and the tax-free shopping detail data eligible for the tax-exempt refund are finalized, the refund unit 202d may refund the total refund amount, which is the sum of the tax-exempt consumption tax amounts eligible for the tax-exempt refund, to the refund applicant based on the refund applicant data. Furthermore, when the completion of customs procedures for the tax-free purchases and the completion of the refund applicant's departure from the country are confirmed and the refund unit 202d receives tax-exempt refund confirmation data that aggregates the tax-free shopping detail data eligible for the tax-exempt refund from the National Taxation Bureau terminal device 100-2, the refund unit 202d may refund the total refund amount, which is the sum of the tax-exempt consumption tax amounts eligible for the tax-exempt refund, to the refund applicant based on the refund applicant data and the tax-exempt refund confirmation data, by transmitting a refund instruction to the financial institution system 500 that manages the consolidated account.

[0043] Furthermore, when the completion of customs procedures for tax-free shopping and the completion of departure of the refund applicant are confirmed, a refund eligible flag is set in the tax-free shopping detail data eligible for tax-free refund at the terminal device 100-2 of the National Taxation Bureau, and tax-free refund confirmation data consolidating the tax-free shopping detail data is received from the terminal device 100-2 of the National Taxation Bureau, the refund unit 202d may send a refund instruction to the financial institution system 500 that manages the consolidated account to refund to the refund applicant the total refund amount, which is the sum of the tax-free consumption tax amounts eligible for tax-free refund, based on the refund applicant data and the tax-free refund confirmation data, thereby refunding the total refund amount to the refund applicant. Furthermore, the refund unit 202d may send refund detail data in which the total refund amount for the refund applicant is set to the terminal device 100-1 of the refund applicant.

[0044] Here, the tax-free refund confirmation data may be set with the passport number of the refund applicant. Furthermore, the refund unit 202d may send a refund instruction to the financial institution system 500 that manages the consolidated account, based on the refund applicant data and the tax-free refund confirmation data, to refund the total refund consumption tax amount, which is the sum of the tax-free consumption tax amounts not eligible for tax-free refund for each tax-free shop, to the financial institution account of each tax-free shop. Furthermore, the refund unit 202d may send a tax payment instruction for the total refund consumption tax amount refunded from the consolidated account to each tax-free shop's terminal device 100-3. Furthermore, if the refund method of the refund applicant set in the refund applicant data is incomplete and the total refund amount cannot be refunded to the refund applicant, the refund unit 202d may send a refund receipt confirmation notice to the contact address of the refund applicant.

[0045] [Configuration of financial institution system 500] In FIG. 3, the financial institution system 500 may be an information processing device such as a personal computer or a workstation. Here, the financial institution system 500 is connected to other devices via a network 300 so that they can communicate with each other. The financial institution system 500 may also include accounts for duty-free shops, accounts for refund applicants, and / or consolidated accounts. The financial institution system 500 may also execute an account transfer process from an account at a financial institution to another account at the financial institution. The financial institution system 500 (for example, financial institution system 500-1) may also execute a transfer process from an account at the financial institution to an account at another financial institution (another financial institution system 500-2).

[0046] [3. Processing of the tax exemption management system] An example of the processing of the tax exemption management system according to this embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 4 to Fig. 6. Fig. 4 is a flowchart showing an example of the processing of the tax exemption management system according to this embodiment.

[0047] As shown in FIG. 4, when the registration unit 202a of the server 200 receives an instruction to register a refund method from the terminal device 100-1 of the refund applicant, it registers the refund applicant data with the refund method set for the refund applicant in the tax exemption management database 206a (step SA-1).

[0048] Then, the shopping details acquisition unit 202b of the server 200 acquires the tax-free shopping details data of the refund applicant at each tax-free shop transmitted from the terminal device 100-3 of each tax-free shop (step SA-2).

[0049] Then, based on the financial institution data and the tax-free shopping details data, the aggregation unit 202c of the server 200 sends an instruction to aggregate the tax-free consumption tax amount of the refund applicant at each tax-free shop to the financial institution system 500-1 that manages the financial institution accounts of each tax-free shop, to the financial institution system 500-2, which is the aggregation account for the tax-free consumption tax amount (step SA-3).

[0050] Then, when the refund section 202d of the server 200 confirms that customs procedures for the tax-free purchases have been completed and that the refund applicant has left the country, the tax-free shopping detail data eligible for tax-free refund is flagged at the National Tax Agency's terminal device 100-2, and tax-free refund confirmation data that aggregates the tax-free shopping detail data is received from the National Tax Agency's terminal device 100-2, the refund section 202d of the server 200 sends a refund instruction to the financial institution system 500-2 that manages the aggregate account to refund the total refund amount, which is the sum of the tax-free consumption tax amounts eligible for tax-free refund, to the refund applicant, based on the refund applicant data and the tax-free refund confirmation data (step SA-4).

[0051] Then, the refund unit 202d of the server 200 determines whether or not there is a tax-exempt consumption tax amount that is not eligible for tax-exempt refund for each tax-free shop, based on the refund applicant data and the tax-exempt refund confirmation data (step SA-5).

[0052] If the refund unit 202d of the server 200 determines that there is no consumption tax amount that is not eligible for tax refund (step SA-5: No), the refund unit 202d of the server 200 proceeds to step SA-8.

[0053] On the other hand, if the refund unit 202d of the server 200 determines that there is a consumption tax amount that is not eligible for tax refund at the duty-free shop (step SA-5: Yes), the process proceeds to step SA-6.

[0054] Then, based on the refund applicant data and the tax-free refund confirmation data, the refund unit 202d of the server 200 sends a refund instruction to the financial institution system 500-2 that manages the consolidated account to refund the total amount of consumption tax refunded, which is the sum of the tax-free consumption tax amounts not eligible for tax-free refund for each tax-free shop, to the financial institution account of each tax-free shop (step SA-6).

[0055] Then, the refund unit 202d of the server 200 sends a tax payment instruction for the total amount of consumption tax refunded from the consolidated account to each duty-free shop to which the total amount of consumption tax refunded has been returned (step SA-7).

[0056] Then, the refund unit 202d of the server 200 transmits refund detail data in which the total refund amount of the refund applicant is set to the terminal device 100-1 of the refund applicant (step SA-8), and the process ends.

[0057] An example of the tax exemption and later refund process in this embodiment will now be described with reference to Figures 5 and 6. Figures 5 and 6 are diagrams showing an example of the tax exemption and later refund process in this embodiment.

[0058] Fig. 5 shows an overview of the later-date refund process for tax-free purchases in this embodiment, and Fig. 6 shows details of the later-date refund process shown in Fig. 5. As shown in Fig. 6, in this embodiment, (1) sales detail data for tax-free purchases handled by each duty-free shop is currently linked to the passport and registered in the National Tax Agency's tax-free sales management system. In this embodiment, a system has been established in which, when registering sales detail data, all duty-free shops also register tax-free shopping detail data, and common sales detail data for all duty-free shops is constructed.

[0059] As shown in Fig. 6, in this embodiment, (2) the tax-free transactions for one day at each store are totaled from the common sales detail data, and the consumption tax eligible for tax-free refund is calculated. As shown in Fig. 6, in this embodiment, (3) the amount of consumption tax to be refunded by tax-free business stores across Japan calculated in (2) is aggregated from the bank accounts of each store. As shown in Fig. 6, in this embodiment, (4) when a foreign traveler departs the country, customs checks the items brought with them, and creates tax-free refund confirmation data that aggregates the tax-free shopping detail data in the tax-free shopping management system that has a flag indicating that the tax-free refund is available.

[0060] As shown in Figure 6, in this embodiment, (5) when a foreign tourist who has come to Japan receives a tax-free refund, the tourist registers the desired refund method and the account to which the refund will be made, thereby creating data that can verify the tourist's identity. As shown in Figure 6, in this embodiment, (6) (4) and (5) are used to create refund instruction data that sets the amount to be refunded to the tourist and the refund method, and this is linked to the respective refund systems. As shown in Figure 6, in this embodiment, (7) after each refund is made, refund detail data is sent to the smartphone of the tourist receiving the refund.

[0061] As shown in Fig. 6, in this embodiment, the data in (8)(1) and (4) are aggregated using the passport number as a key, and compared to extract data that will not be refunded but will be subject to consumption tax, consumption tax detail data for each applicable duty-free shop is created, and the data is sent to each applicable duty-free shop, and instruction data is created to return the total amount of consumption tax for each shop to the shop, and corresponding instruction data is also created. As shown in Fig. 6, in this embodiment, refund processing was performed based on the refund instruction data in (9)(7), but data that could not be refunded is collected and detail data for the next action is created.

[0062] 4. Other Embodiments The present invention may be implemented in various different embodiments other than those described above within the scope of the technical concept set forth in the claims.

[0063] For example, among the processes described in the embodiments, all or part of the processes described as being performed automatically can be performed manually, or all or part of the processes described as being performed manually can be performed automatically using known methods.

[0064] Furthermore, the processing procedures, control procedures, specific names, information including parameters such as registered data and search conditions for each process, screen examples, and database configurations shown in this specification and drawings can be changed as desired unless otherwise specified.

[0065] Furthermore, the components of the terminal device 100, server 200, etc. shown in the figures are conceptual functional components, and do not necessarily have to be physically configured as shown in the figures.

[0066] For example, all or any part of the processing functions of the terminal device 100 and the server 200, etc., particularly the processing functions performed by the control unit, may be implemented by a CPU and a program interpreted and executed by the CPU, or may be implemented as hardware using wired logic. The program is recorded on a non-transitory computer-readable recording medium containing programmed instructions for causing the information processing device to execute the processes described in this embodiment, and is mechanically read by the terminal device 100 as needed. That is, a computer program for providing instructions to the CPU in cooperation with the OS and performing various processes is recorded in a storage unit such as a ROM or HDD (Hard Disk Drive). This computer program is executed by being loaded into RAM, and cooperates with the CPU to form the control unit.

[0067] In addition, this computer program may be stored in an application program server connected to the terminal device 100, the server 200, etc. via any network 300, and it is also possible to download all or part of it as needed.

[0068] Furthermore, the program for executing the processes described in this embodiment may be stored in a non-transitory computer-readable recording medium or configured as a program product. Here, the term "recording medium" includes any "portable physical medium" such as a memory card, a Universal Serial Bus (USB) memory, a Secure Digital (SD) card, a flexible disk, a magneto-optical disk, a ROM, an Erasable Programmable Read Only Memory (EPROM), an Electrically Erasable and Programmable Read Only Memory (EEPROM (registered trademark)), a Compact Disk Read Only Memory (CD-ROM), a Magneto-Optical disk (MO), a Digital Versatile Disk (DVD), and a Blu-ray (registered trademark) disc.

[0069] Furthermore, a "program" is a data processing method written in any language or description method, and does not matter whether it is in the form of source code or binary code. Note that a "program" is not necessarily limited to a single structure, but also includes a structure that is distributed as multiple modules or libraries, or a structure that achieves its function by cooperating with a separate program, such as an OS. Note that the specific configuration and reading procedure for reading a recording medium in each device shown in this embodiment, as well as the installation procedure after reading, can use well-known configurations and procedures.

[0070] The various databases stored in the memory unit are storage means such as memory devices such as RAM and ROM, fixed disk devices such as hard disks, flexible disks, and optical disks, and store various programs, tables, databases, and web page files used for various processes and providing websites.

[0071] The terminal device 100 and the server 200 may be configured as an information processing device such as a known personal computer or workstation, or may be configured as the information processing device to which any peripheral device is connected. The terminal device 100 and the server 200 may be realized by installing software (including programs or data) that causes the device to perform the processing described in this embodiment.

[0072] Furthermore, the specific form of distribution and integration of the devices is not limited to that shown in the drawings, and all or part of them can be configured by functionally or physically distributing and integrating them in any unit depending on various additions or functional loads. In other words, the above-described embodiments can be implemented in any combination, or embodiments can be implemented selectively. [Industrial Applicability]

[0073] The present invention is useful in the retail industry, including the duty-free industry, and in the financial industry. [Explanation of symbols]

[0074] 100 Terminal Device 102 Control section 106 Storage section 112 Input / output section 200 servers 202 Control section 202a Registration Department 202b Shopping details acquisition section 202c Aggregation Section 202d Refund Department 206 Memory section 206a Tax-free Management Database 300 Network 500 Financial Institution Systems

Claims

1. A tax exemption management device that is communicably connected to a terminal device and includes a storage unit and a control unit, The storage unit a tax exemption management storage means for storing refund applicant data that sets the refund method of the refund applicant and financial institution data that sets the financial institution account of each tax exemption shop; Equipped with The control unit a shopping details acquisition means for acquiring tax-free shopping details data of the refund applicant at each of the tax-free shops; aggregating means for aggregating the tax-exempt consumption tax amount of the refund applicant at each of the tax-free shops into a consolidated account at a financial institution based on the financial institution data and the tax-exempt shopping details data; a refund means for refunding to the refund applicant a total refund amount obtained by adding up the consumption tax amounts eligible for the tax-free refund based on the refund applicant data when the completion of customs procedures for the tax-free purchases and the completion of departure of the refund applicant are confirmed and the tax-free purchase detail data eligible for the tax-free refund is confirmed; A tax-free management device comprising:

2. The aggregation means The tax exemption management device according to claim 1, characterized in that the tax exemption management device transmits an instruction to consolidate the tax exemption eligible consumption tax amount of the refund applicant at each of the tax-free shops into the consolidation account based on the financial institution data and the tax-free shopping detail data to a financial institution system that manages the financial institution accounts of each of the tax-free shops, thereby consolidating the tax exemption eligible consumption tax amount.

3. The refund means is 3. The tax exemption management device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that when the completion of the customs procedures for the tax-free purchases and the completion of the departure of the refund applicant are confirmed and tax exemption refund confirmation data that aggregates the tax-free purchase detail data eligible for the tax exemption refund is received from the terminal device of the National Tax Agency, the tax exemption management device sends a refund instruction to the financial institution system that manages the aggregate account to refund the total refund amount, which is the sum of the tax-exempt consumption tax amounts eligible for the tax exemption refund, to the refund applicant, based on the refund applicant data and the tax exemption refund confirmation data, thereby refunding the total refund amount to the refund applicant.

4. The refund means is 4. The tax exemption management device according to claim 3, wherein when the completion of the customs procedures for the tax-free purchases and the completion of the departure of the refund applicant are confirmed, a refund eligible flag is set in the tax-free shopping detail data eligible for the tax-free refund at the terminal device of the tax bureau, and the tax-free refund confirmation data aggregating the tax-free shopping detail data is received from the terminal device of the tax bureau, the tax exemption management device sends the refund instruction to the financial institution system that manages the consolidated account to refund the total refund amount, which is the sum of the tax-exempt consumption tax amounts eligible for the tax-free refund, to the refund applicant, based on the refund applicant data and the tax-exempt refund confirmation data, thereby refunding the total refund amount to the refund applicant.

5. The control unit a registration means for registering the refund applicant data in which the refund method of the refund applicant is set in the tax exemption management storage means when an instruction to register the refund method is received from the terminal device of the refund applicant; 3. The tax exemption management device according to claim 1, further comprising:

6. The refund means is 3. The tax exemption management device according to claim 1, further comprising: transmitting refund detail data in which the total refund amount of the refund applicant is set to the terminal device of the refund applicant.

7. The refund applicant data is Furthermore, the passport number of the refund applicant is set, The tax exemption refund confirmation data is Furthermore, the passport number of the refund applicant is set, The refund means is The tax exemption management device according to claim 3, further comprising: a refund instruction for refunding a total refund amount of consumption tax, which is the sum of the tax-exempt consumption tax amounts not eligible for the tax-exempt refund for each tax-exempt shop, to the financial institution account of each tax-exempt shop based on the refund applicant data and the tax-exempt refund confirmation data, to the financial institution system that manages the consolidated account.

8. The refund means is 8. The tax exemption management device according to claim 7, further comprising: a terminal device for transmitting to each of said tax-free shops a tax payment instruction for the total amount of consumption tax returned from said consolidated account.

9. The refund applicant data is Furthermore, the contact address of the refund applicant is set, The refund means is The tax exemption management device according to claim 1 or 2, further characterized in that if there is a defect in the refund method of the refund applicant set in the refund applicant data and the total refund amount cannot be refunded to the refund applicant, a notification of confirmation of intention to receive the refund is sent to the contact address of the refund applicant.

10. The refund method is The tax exemption management device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the refund is transferred to the refund applicant's financial institution account, credit card or smartphone payment wallet, or the refund applicant's prepaid card or electronic money is charged.

11. A tax exemption management method to be executed by a tax exemption management device that is communicably connected to a terminal device and includes a storage unit and a control unit, The storage unit a tax exemption management storage means for storing refund applicant data that sets the refund method of the refund applicant and financial institution data that sets the financial institution account of each tax exemption shop; Equipped with Executed in the control unit: a shopping detail acquisition step of acquiring tax-free shopping detail data of the refund applicant at each of the tax-free shops; aggregating the tax-exempt consumption tax amount of the refund applicant at each of the tax-free shops based on the financial institution data and the tax-exempt shopping detail data into a consolidated account of the financial institution; a refund step of refunding to the refund applicant a total refund amount obtained by adding up the consumption tax amounts eligible for the tax-free refund based on the refund applicant data when the completion of customs procedures for the tax-free purchases and the completion of departure of the refund applicant are confirmed and the tax-free purchase detail data eligible for the tax-free refund is confirmed; A tax exemption management method comprising:

12. A tax exemption management program to be executed by a tax exemption management device that is communicably connected to a terminal device and has a storage unit and a control unit, The storage unit a tax exemption management storage means for storing refund applicant data that sets the refund method of the refund applicant and financial institution data that sets the financial institution account of each tax exemption shop; Equipped with In the control unit, a shopping detail acquisition step of acquiring tax-free shopping detail data of the refund applicant at each of the tax-free shops; aggregating the tax-exempt consumption tax amount of the refund applicant at each of the tax-free shops based on the financial institution data and the tax-exempt shopping detail data into a consolidated account of the financial institution; a refund step of refunding to the refund applicant a total refund amount obtained by adding up the consumption tax amounts eligible for the tax-free refund based on the refund applicant data when the completion of customs procedures for the tax-free purchases and the completion of departure of the refund applicant are confirmed and the tax-free purchase detail data eligible for the tax-free refund is confirmed; Tax-free management program to implement.

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