Information provision device, information provision method, and computer program

Abstract

To provide information that can present a missing income tax deduction and suggest further income tax deductions.SOLUTION: An acquisition unit 31 of an information provision device 30 acquires income information, deduction-related information, and final taxation information. The income information represents the income of a user household that includes a user. The deduction-related information includes information on the type of income deductions and payment amount paid by the user household that is used to calculate taxable income. The finalized taxable income information represents the taxable income that has been finalized for the user household. A determination unit 32 determines whether there are any missing income deductions in the user household by using the deduction-related information and the final taxation information. A proposal unit 33 uses the deduction-related information to generate information representing proposals to reduce taxable income as proposal information. An output unit 34 outputs the information representing the result of the determination of whether there is a missing income deduction and the proposal information.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a technique for providing information related to the payment of income tax and inhabitant tax.

Background Art

[0002] Income tax is a tax imposed on an individual's income, and the tax amount is calculated by applying a tax rate to the taxable income obtained by subtracting income deductions from all income for one year. Inhabitant tax is a type of local tax, and among inhabitant taxes, there is one called the income-based tax. The tax amount of the income-based tax is calculated by multiplying the taxable income by a predetermined tax rate (10%).

[0003] As procedures related to the determination of the income tax amount, there are final tax returns and, for wage earners, year-end adjustments. A final tax return means calculating the taxable income obtained by subtracting income deductions from all income generated in one year and submitting (reporting) it to the tax office, thereby determining the income tax amount. Year-end adjustment is a system in which wage earners (company employees and public servants) recalculate the income tax withheld from their monthly salaries considering income deductions and settle the excess or deficiency of the income tax payment amount. By determining the taxable income through such procedures, the amount of inhabitant tax is also determined.

[0004] Incidentally, the amount of taxable income is used not only to calculate income tax and resident tax, but also, for example, to calculate childcare fees for childcare facilities operated based on standards set by the national and local governments (hereinafter referred to as certified childcare centers). Furthermore, the amount of taxable income is also used to calculate subsidies related to service fees for long-term care services and fees for facilities for people with disabilities. Specifically, for example, regarding childcare fees for certified childcare centers, the fees are set using the total household amount of the ward / city / town / village income tax portion (60%), which is part of the resident tax that is 10% of the taxable income. More specifically, the childcare fees for certified childcare centers are not uniform, but rather there are multiple fee tiers. In addition, a calculation table is established that shows the relationship between the total household amount of ward / city / town / village income tax and the childcare fee tier, so that childcare fees increase as the total household amount of ward / city / town / village income tax increases. Such calculation tables differ from one municipality to another. Based on this calculation table, the childcare fee for a certified nursery school is determined for each household, taking into account the total amount of municipal income tax for each household, as well as the number of children.

[0005] Furthermore, Patent Document 1 (Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2015-049879) describes a technology that can determine eligibility for systems such as the public assistance system, where eligibility is determined based on household and income circumstances, while keeping an individual's household and income information confidential. Patent Document 2 (Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2002-140527) describes a technology that, after diagnosing a customer's current lifestyle, proposes optimized coverage amounts and pension amounts for life insurance, etc. [Prior art documents] [Patent Documents]

[0006] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2015-049879 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2002-140527 [Overview of the Initiative] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0007] Those who file tax returns or perform year-end tax adjustments are often unfamiliar with the procedures. As a result, there are cases where income deductions that are applicable are not claimed or are simply forgotten. In such cases, the unclaimed deductions increase the taxable income, which in turn results in higher income tax compared to when no deductions were missed. It also affects resident tax, potentially leading to higher fees for things like certified daycare centers.

[0008] This invention was conceived to solve such problems. In other words, the main objective of this invention is to provide a technology that can present information informing individuals of any omissions in their income tax deductions, and also present information suggesting further income tax deductions. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] To achieve the above objective, the information providing device according to the present invention, in one embodiment, An acquisition unit that acquires income information representing the income of a user household, which is a household including the user; deduction-related information including information on the types of income deductions and payment amounts for the user household used when calculating taxable income; and final tax information representing the finalized taxable income for the user household. A determination unit that determines whether or not there are any omissions in income deductions in the user household, using the deduction-related information and the final tax information in the user household, A proposal unit generates proposal information representing a proposal to reduce taxable income using the aforementioned deduction-related information, An output unit that outputs information representing the result of the determination of whether or not there are any omissions in the income deductions, and the proposed information. It is equipped with.

[0010] Furthermore, the information provision method according to the present invention, in one embodiment, By computer, The system obtains income information representing the income of the user household, which includes the user; deduction-related information including the types of income deductions and payment amounts for the user household used when calculating taxable income; and final tax information representing the finalized taxable income for the user household. Using the aforementioned deduction-related information and final tax information for the user household, it is determined whether or not there are any omissions in the income deductions for the user household. Using the aforementioned deduction-related information, information representing a proposal to reduce taxable income is generated as proposal information. The system outputs information representing the result of the determination of whether or not there are any omissions in the income deductions, along with the aforementioned proposal information.

[0011] Furthermore, in one embodiment, the computer program according to the present invention is: A process for obtaining income information representing the income of a user household, which is a household including the user; deduction-related information including the types of income deductions and payment amounts for the user household used when calculating taxable income; and final tax information representing the finalized taxable income for the user household. A process to determine whether or not there are any omissions in income deductions in the user household, using the deduction-related information and the final tax information in the user household. Using the aforementioned deduction-related information, a process is performed to generate information representing a proposal to reduce taxable income as proposal information, A process that outputs information representing the result of determining whether or not there are any omissions in the income deductions, and the aforementioned proposal information. Have the computer execute it. [Effects of the Invention]

[0012] According to the present invention, it is possible to present information informing users of any omissions in their income deductions, and also to present information suggesting further income deductions. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0013] [Figure 1] This diagram illustrates the configuration of an information providing device according to the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2]It is a diagram showing an example of a registration screen for acquiring user information. [Figure 3] It is a diagram showing an example of a registration screen for acquiring deduction-related information. [Figure 4] It is a flowchart showing an operation example in the information providing apparatus of the first embodiment. [Figure 5] It is a diagram for explaining the configuration of an information providing apparatus according to other embodiments of the present invention. [Figure 6] It is a flowchart showing an operation example in the information providing apparatus of other embodiments.

Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0014] Hereinafter, embodiments according to the present invention will be described while referring to the drawings.

[0015] <First Embodiment> FIG. 1 is a block diagram for explaining the functional configuration of an information providing apparatus according to the first embodiment of the present invention. The information providing apparatus 2 according to the first embodiment is an apparatus that provides useful information related to income tax and inhabitant tax, including information on whether income deductions have been properly made during year-end adjustment or final tax return in a user household. Here, the user household refers to a household including the user, and the household members may be a single household with only the user, or may be a plurality of people including the user.

[0016] Information provider device 2 is connected to multiple information sources 3. Here, information sources 3 are information sources that can provide deduction-related information and income information for the user's household. In other words, there are several types of income deductions that can be claimed in year-end adjustments and final tax returns. For example, one type of income deduction is the life insurance premium deduction. This deduction covers life insurance premiums, long-term care insurance premiums, and personal pension insurance premiums paid based on insurance contracts, and the deduction amount calculated by applying the premiums paid by the taxpayer to a calculation formula determined by the government can be deducted from income as an income deduction for life insurance premiums. Another type of income deduction is, for example, the earthquake insurance premium deduction. This deduction covers insurance premiums or contributions for earthquake damage related to specific non-life insurance contracts, etc., and the deduction amount calculated according to a calculation table determined by the government can be deducted from income as an income deduction for earthquake insurance premiums. Furthermore, another type of income deduction is, for example, the social insurance premium deduction. This deduction covers social insurance premiums that taxpayers should bear themselves or their spouse or other relatives who share a household with them. Social insurance premiums include several types of premiums, such as health insurance, national pension, and long-term care insurance premiums. The amount that can be deducted as a social insurance premium deduction is the full amount actually paid during the year or the amount deducted from salary or public pension, etc. Furthermore, there is another type of income deduction, for example, the small business mutual aid premium deduction. This deduction applies to premiums paid by taxpayers based on mutual aid contracts stipulated in the Small Business Mutual Aid Act, and also includes corporate pension plan participant premiums or individual pension plan participant premiums stipulated in the Defined Contribution Pension Act. The amount that can be deducted from income as a small business mutual aid premium deduction is the full amount of premiums paid during the year.

[0017] As described above, there are several types of income deductions. Insurance companies and financial institutions to which users pay insurance premiums or contributions issue deduction certificates to the user's household for year-end adjustments and tax returns, which are documents that prove the amount of insurance premiums or contributions paid. Here, deduction-related information refers to the information contained in the deduction certificate. This information includes the type of income deduction and information on the insurance premiums paid. Deduction certificates are increasingly being issued as electronic data, and information source 3 is information equipment such as servers of insurance companies and financial institutions that can issue electronic deduction certificates.

[0018] Furthermore, income information includes information on the amount of income earned by the user or a member of the same household as the user. If the workplace of the user or a member of the same household as the user can output income information in the form of electronic data, an information device such as a server that outputs income information at that workplace may be connected to the information provider 2 as information source 3.

[0019] The information providing device 2 is also connected to a user-operable terminal device 5. In Figure 1, there is one terminal device 5 connected to the information providing device 2, but the information providing device 2 can be connected to multiple terminal devices 5.

[0020] Terminal device 5 is an information device that has communication capabilities and a display control function that controls a display device to display information. While terminal device 5 is not limited to any information device with communication and display control functions, specific examples include smartphones, tablets, and personal computers. Note that if terminal device 5 is a smartphone or tablet, the display device is integrated with terminal device 5, while if terminal device 5 is a personal computer, the display device may be external.

[0021] Here, we will describe an example of the configuration of terminal device 5. As mentioned above, terminal device 5 is an information device equipped with communication and display control functions, and either has a built-in display device 70 or is connected to a separate display device 70. In addition, terminal device 5 either has an input device 80 built-in or is connected to a separate input device 80. The input device 80 is a device that allows the user to input information into terminal device 5 through operation, and may include, for example, a touch panel, keyboard, or mouse.

[0022] Terminal device 5 comprises an arithmetic unit 50 and a storage device 60. The storage device 60 has a storage medium for storing data and computer programs (hereinafter also referred to as programs) 61. There are many types of storage devices, such as magnetic disk drives and semiconductor memory elements, and furthermore, semiconductor memory elements have multiple types such as RAM (Random Access Memory) and ROM (Read Only Memory). The type of storage device 60 provided in terminal device 5 is not limited to one. Computer devices are often equipped with multiple types of storage devices. Here, the type and number of storage devices 60 provided in terminal device 5 are not limited, and their explanation is omitted. Also, if terminal device 5 is equipped with multiple types of storage devices 60, they will be collectively referred to as storage device 60.

[0023] In the first embodiment, the storage device 60 of the terminal device 5 stores an income tax and resident tax optimization application as one of the programs 61. This income tax and resident tax optimization application is an application program that connects the terminal device 5 to the information provision device 2, receives useful information regarding income tax and resident tax for the user's household from the information provision device 2, and presents it to the user. The method by which the terminal device 5 acquires this income tax and resident tax optimization application is not limited, but examples include the terminal device 5 acquiring the income tax and resident tax optimization application from the information provision device 2 via an information communication network, or the terminal device 5 acquiring the income tax and resident tax optimization application by using a dedicated application provider site that provides applications.

[0024] The arithmetic unit 50 of the terminal device 5 is composed of a processor such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit). The arithmetic unit 50 can perform various functions based on the program 61 stored in the storage device 60 by reading and executing the program 61. In this case, the arithmetic unit 50 has a communication unit 51, a registration unit 52, and a display control unit 53 as functional units based on the income tax and resident tax optimization application.

[0025] The display control unit 53 controls the display operation of the display device 70 to display information on the display device 70 in the form of images, characters, or diagrams.

[0026] The registration unit 52 obtains user information necessary for the information provider 2 to obtain deduction certificate information (in other words, deduction-related information) from the information source 3 from the user using the display device 70 and input device 80, and registers it in the storage device 60. That is, the user information includes, for example, the user ID (IDentification), password, and insurance contract number (policy symbol number) registered with the information source 3 (insurance company, etc.).

[0027] The registration unit 52, in order to obtain such user information, uses the display control unit 53 to display a registration screen, such as the one shown in Figure 2, on the display device 70. The "Name of Issuer" shown in Figure 2 refers to the name of the information source 3 (such as an insurance company) that issues the deduction certificate. Furthermore, in the example registration screen in Figure 2, if user information such as a user ID and password is not registered in the information source 3, information is displayed that directs the user to a web page where they can register their user information in the information source 3.

[0028] Furthermore, if there are other household members in the same household as the user who are issued electronic deduction certificates, the registration screen in Figure 2 also includes a mechanism to obtain user information of those other household members in order to obtain information on their deduction certificates (deduction-related information) from information source 3.

[0029] As shown in Figure 2, when a user enters user information by operating the input device 80 on the registration screen of the display device 70, the registration unit 52 acquires the entered user information and stores it in the storage device 60. The user information stored in the storage device 60 is associated with, for example, user identification information that identifies the user. Furthermore, the user information stored in the storage device 60 is encrypted to prevent information leakage.

[0030] Furthermore, if the user's or other household members' income information can be obtained from information source 3 as electronic data, the registration unit 52 obtains the user information (such as user ID and password) necessary to obtain the income information from information source 3 from the user and registers it in the storage device 60. Regarding the acquisition of this user information for obtaining income information, the registration unit 52 utilizes the display device 70 and the input device 80, similar to the acquisition of user information for obtaining the deduction certificate information (deduction-related information) described above.

[0031] Furthermore, the registration unit 52 uses the display device 70 and the input device 80 to obtain information from the user as finalized tax information, representing the finalized taxable income (hereinafter also referred to as previous year's taxable income) based on the user's or other household members' income for the previous year. The registration unit 52 then stores the obtained finalized tax information in the storage device 60, associating it with the user identification information.

[0032] Furthermore, the registration unit 52 may also have the following function: In some cases, the user may receive a paper-based deduction certificate instead of electronic data. To obtain the information (deduction-related information) contained in this paper-based deduction certificate, the registration unit 52 displays a registration screen on the display device 70 via the display control unit 53, allowing the user to input the deduction-related information from the paper-based certificate using the input device 80. Figure 3 shows an example of a registration screen for obtaining information (deduction-related information) contained in a paper-based deduction certificate.

[0033] The registration unit 52 may use the registration screen of such display device 70 and the input device 80 to acquire deduction-related information on paper and store the deduction-related information in the storage device 60 in association with user identification information. The deduction-related information on paper acquired by the registration unit 52 may include not only the user's deduction-related information but also deduction-related information for other members of the same household as the user.

[0034] Furthermore, there may be cases where income information for the user or other members of the same household cannot be obtained as electronic data. In such cases, the registration unit 52 displays a registration screen on the display device 70 via the display control unit 53, prompting the user to input income information using the input device 80, in order to obtain the income information of the user and other members of the same household. As a result, the registration unit 52 obtains the income information and stores it in the storage device 60 in association with the user identification information.

[0035] The communication unit 51 is a functional unit that communicates with the information providing device 2 via an information communication network, and includes the function of receiving information output from the information providing device 2 and the function of transmitting information to the information providing device 2.

[0036] Furthermore, when the communication unit 51 detects that the user has requested information regarding income tax and resident tax for the user's household through the operation of the input device 80, it outputs the request (hereinafter also referred to as the information provision request) to the information provision device 2. At this time, the communication unit 51 reads user information necessary to obtain information about the user or other members of the user's household from the information source 3 from the storage device 60, and transmits the user information to the information provision device 2 in association with the information provision request. Furthermore, the communication unit 51 transmits the final tax information from the storage device 60 to the information provision device 2 in association with the information provision request. In addition, if deduction-related information or income information of the user or other members of the user's household is stored in the storage device 60, the communication unit 51 also transmits that deduction-related information and income information to the information provision device 2 in association with the information provision request.

[0037] Next, the configuration of the information providing device 2 will be described. The information providing device 2 is a computer device and is equipped with an arithmetic unit 20 and a storage device 40. The storage device 40 is equipped with a storage medium for storing data and computer programs (hereinafter also referred to as programs) 41. There are many types of storage devices, such as magnetic disk drives and semiconductor memory elements, and furthermore, there are many types of semiconductor memory elements, such as RAM (Random Access Memory) and ROM (Read Only Memory). The type of storage device 40 equipped in the information providing device 2 is not limited to one. Computer devices are often equipped with multiple types of storage devices. Here, the type and number of storage devices 40 equipped in the information providing device 2 are not limited, and their explanation will be omitted. Also, if the information providing device 2 is equipped with multiple types of storage devices 40, they will be collectively referred to as storage device 40. It is also possible that the information providing device 2 may be connected to an external storage device (database) and perform reading and writing of data to and from the external storage device. However, even if reading and writing of data to and from the external storage device occurs, such explanation will be omitted here.

[0038] In the first embodiment, the storage device 40 stores destination address information. Destination address information is address information used by the information provider 2 to connect with the information source 3. The destination address information is configured such that identification information identifying the information source 3 is associated with the address (URL (Uniform Resource Locator)) of the information source 3.

[0039] Furthermore, the storage device 40 stores taxable income calculation information that is referenced in calculating taxable income. As taxable income calculation information, for example, the storage device 40 stores calculation formulas and calculation tables for calculating the deduction amounts for various income deductions.

[0040] The arithmetic unit 20 is composed of a processor such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit). The arithmetic unit 20 can perform various functions based on the program 41 stored in the storage device 40 by reading and executing the program 41. In this case, the arithmetic unit 20 includes an acquisition unit 21, a determination unit 22, a communication unit 23, and a proposal unit 24 as functional units related to providing useful information concerning income tax and resident tax.

[0041] The communication unit 23 is a functional unit that communicates with the terminal device 5, and includes the function of a receiving unit that receives information from the terminal device 5 and the function of an output unit that transmits information to the terminal device 5.

[0042] When the acquisition unit 21 receives a request for information from the terminal device 5, it uses the user information associated with the request to acquire deduction-related information and income information of the user who initiated the request and other members of the same household from the information source 3. The acquisition unit 21 also acquires deduction-related information, income information, and final tax information of the user and other members of the same household that have been transmitted from the terminal device 5 in connection with the request for information. In other words, the acquisition unit 21 acquires deduction-related information, income information, and final tax information for the user's household.

[0043] The determination unit 22 uses deduction-related information and income information, and refers to the taxable income calculation information stored in the storage device 40 to calculate the taxable income of the user and other household members. The deduction-related information and income information used in this calculation are, as mentioned above, information obtained from information source 3 or received from terminal device 5 in association with a request for information.

[0044] The determination unit 22 further compares the previous year's taxable income included in the final tax information of the user and other household members received from the terminal device 5 with the calculated taxable income (hereinafter also referred to as calculated taxable income). Based on this comparison, if the previous year's taxable income is equal to the calculated taxable income, the determination unit 22 determines that the previous year's taxable income of the user and other household members is correct. This determination result is output (replied) to the terminal device 5 that sent the request by the communication unit 23, which acts as the output unit. Upon receiving the determination result, the terminal device 5, via the display control unit 53, displays information indicating that the previous year's taxable income is correct on the display device 70 using a pre-defined display format representing the determination result.

[0045] On the other hand, if the previous year's taxable income is greater than the calculated taxable income, the determination unit 22 determines that there is a gap in the income deductions that should be deducted from the previous year's income. In this case, the determination unit 22 further identifies the type of income deduction that was not deducted from the previous year's income. The method for identifying the type of missing income deduction is not particularly limited here, but for example, the type of missing income deduction can be identified as follows: The determination unit 22 stores information including the deduction amount and the type of income deduction calculated in the process of calculating the taxable income of the user and other household members. The determination unit 22 compares the difference between the previous year's taxable income and the calculated taxable income with the stored income deduction amount and identifies the type of income deduction corresponding to the matching deduction amount as the type of missing income deduction. In addition, by comparing the difference between the previous year's taxable income and the calculated taxable income with the total deduction amount for combinations of multiple types of income deductions that have been stored, it is also possible to identify gaps in multiple types of income deductions.

[0046] As described above, the determination result that there is a gap in the income deductions, along with information indicating the type of income deduction that is missing, is output (replied) by the communication unit 23, which acts as the output unit, to the terminal device 5 that sent the request. Then, in the terminal device 5, the display control unit 53 displays the determination result and the information indicating the type of income deduction that is missing on the display device 70 in a pre-defined display format.

[0047] The proposal unit 24 generates proposal information that represents suggestions for reducing taxable income, using deduction-related information. In other words, the proposal unit 24 generates useful information that is relevant to income tax and resident tax and is considered useful to the user. For example, childcare fees at certified daycare centers are related to taxable income, and it may be possible to reduce childcare fees by reducing taxable income. Possible means of reducing taxable income to lower childcare fees include, for example, joining or increasing contributions to an individual defined contribution pension plan that allows for income deductions in the user's household, or joining or increasing insurance premiums in the general, long-term care, and individual annuity categories of life insurance. For this reason, the storage device 40 stores predetermined information (hereinafter also referred to as countermeasure information) that represents information on the types and amounts of income deductions that can be used as means of reducing taxable income.

[0048] The suggestion unit 24 refers to such countermeasure information and detects the types of income deductions that are available as a means of reducing taxable income, including types of income deductions that have not been claimed for the user or other household members, and any remaining deduction amounts. Furthermore, based on the detected information, the suggestion unit 24 generates a message (hereinafter also referred to as the suggestion message) that explains the suggestions for reducing taxable income.

[0049] In the first embodiment, the proposal message further includes information about the benefits of reducing taxable income. For example, the proposal message includes information such as the fact that reducing taxable income may reduce the childcare fees at certified daycare centers. Such benefit information includes specific examples. For example, childcare fees at certified daycare centers are set by each municipality. For this reason, the storage device 40 of the information provision device 2 has information on the childcare fee calculation table for each municipality stored in advance. The information provision device 2 also has a function to obtain information representing the municipality where the user resides from the terminal device 5. The proposal unit 24 uses the information on the user household's taxable income for the previous year and the childcare fee calculation table for the municipality corresponding to the user household to calculate the childcare fee based on the previous year's taxable income. The proposal unit 24 also calculates the childcare fee when taxable income is reduced. Then, the proposal unit 24 includes the difference from the childcare fee based on the previous year's taxable income when taxable income is reduced as benefit information in the proposal message.

[0050] Furthermore, instead of using the previous year's taxable income to calculate childcare fees, proposal unit 24 may obtain information on the user household's childcare fees from a minor portal. A minor portal is a website for online services operated by the government. When obtaining user information from the minor portal, the user information registered in the minor portal, transmitted from the user's terminal device 5, is used.

[0051] By the way, there is a system called Furusato Nozei (hometown tax donation). Furusato Nozei is a system that allows you to donate to your hometown or a municipality you wish to support. When you make a Furusato Nozei donation, you can receive an income tax refund or a resident tax deduction for the portion of the donation that exceeds a predetermined amount. Although Furusato Nozei is not taken into consideration when calculating childcare fees for certified nurseries, you can specify how the donation will be used, and you can also receive a return gift from the municipality to which you donated. For these reasons, Proposal Unit 24 uses the user's taxable income and a pre-defined formula for calculating the upper limit of Furusato Nozei to calculate the upper limit for Furusato Nozei for the user or user household. Then, Proposal Unit 24 may include a comment in the proposal message recommending Furusato Nozei, including the calculated upper limit for Furusato Nozei.

[0052] The proposal unit 24 generates proposal information that includes the proposal message described above. This proposal information is output by the communication unit 23 to the user's terminal device 5, either together with or immediately following the information representing the judgment result as described above. The terminal device 5, upon receiving the proposal information, presents the proposal message to the user by displaying the proposal message contained in the proposal information on the display device 70. Since such a proposal message includes information on the specific benefits of reducing taxable income, it has the effect of encouraging the user to take action toward reducing taxable income.

[0053] The information provision device 2 of the first embodiment is configured as described above. Next, an example of the operation of the information provision device 2 related to the provision of useful information concerning income tax and resident tax will be explained with reference to Figure 4. Figure 4 is a flowchart showing an example of the operation of the information provision device 2 related to the provision of income tax and resident tax information.

[0054] For example, when the information provider 2 receives a request from the terminal device 5 (step 101 in Figure 4), the acquisition unit 21 connects to the information source 3 using the user information associated with the request. The acquisition unit 21 then obtains deduction-related information (information from deduction certificates) and income information of the user and other household members (in other words, the user's household) from the information source 3 (step 102). The information provider 2 also receives information from the terminal device 5 regarding the previous year's taxable income of the user and other household members associated with the request, and may also receive income information of the user and other household members.

[0055] Subsequently, the determination unit 22 refers to the taxable income calculation information stored in the storage device 40 and calculates the taxable income of the user and other household members as calculated taxable income (step 103). At this time, the determination unit 22 uses the deduction-related information and income information of the user and other household members obtained from the information source 3, and the deduction-related information and income information of the user and other household members received from the terminal device 5. Furthermore, the determination unit 22 compares the previous year's taxable income of the user's household with the calculated taxable income and determines whether the previous year's taxable income is equal to the calculated taxable income (step 104). If the previous year's taxable income is equal to the calculated taxable income, the previous year's taxable income is considered appropriate. At this point, considering that there may be matters that would be beneficial to the user by reducing taxable income (for example, childcare fees would be lower), the suggestion unit 24 generates a suggestion message, which is helpful information as described above (step 105). The communication unit 23 outputs (replies) the suggestion information, including the thus generated suggestion message, to the terminal device 5, along with information indicating that the previous year's taxable income is appropriate (step 106).

[0056] On the other hand, if, by comparing the previous year's taxable income with the calculated taxable income, the previous year's taxable income is not equal to the calculated taxable income (i.e., the previous year's taxable income is greater than the calculated taxable income), it is considered that there are missing income deductions that could be deducted from the income but have not been deducted. In this case, as described above, the determination unit 22 identifies the type of income deduction that has been missed (step 107). Then, the suggestion unit 24 generates suggestion information including a suggestion message (step 105). The communication unit 23 then outputs (replies) to the terminal device 5 information indicating that there is a missing deduction, the type of income deduction that has been missed, and further suggestion information which is useful information for the user (step 106).

[0057] In this way, the suggestion information, including the suggestion message output to the terminal device 5, is presented (provided) to the user by being displayed on the display device 70 in a predetermined display format by the display control unit 53 of the terminal device 5.

[0058] As described above, the information providing device 2 of the first embodiment can provide information to the user's terminal device 5 when it detects that there is a gap in income deductions in the calculation of taxable income. This allows the user to know about the gap in income deductions and to correct the taxable income (in other words, the amount of income tax and resident tax for the user's household).

[0059] Furthermore, the information provider 2 can provide the user with suggestion information, including suggestions for further income deductions. In other words, the information provider 2 of the first embodiment can present information informing the user of any missing income deductions, and can also present information suggesting further income deductions. As a result, by increasing income deductions and reducing taxable income, the information provider 2 can provide the user with benefits such as lowering the childcare fees they have to pay.

[0060] Furthermore, in the first embodiment, the information provider 2 can generate suggestion information that includes information specific to the municipality where the user resides, and outputs this suggestion information to the terminal device 5. This allows the information provider 2 to make the suggestion message more relatable to the user, thereby increasing the persuasiveness of the information it suggests to the user.

[0061] <Other Embodiments> The present invention is not limited to the first embodiment and can take various forms. For example, if a My Number Card is used as an insurance card, it is possible to obtain information on the medical expenses of the user and other household members from the minority portal. For this reason, the information providing device 2 of the first embodiment may connect to the minority portal as the information source 3 and obtain information on the medical expenses of the user and other household members. Furthermore, if the total annual medical expenses of the user or other household members exceed a predetermined amount (100,000 yen), the suggestion unit 24 may include a suggestion message recommending filing a tax return to receive an income deduction for medical expenses.

[0062] In the first embodiment, the user registers the user information (user ID and password) of other household members to obtain deduction-related information and income information in the terminal device 5. When a request for information is sent from the terminal device 5 to the information providing device 2, not only the user's user information but also the user information of other household members is sent to the information providing device 2 in association with the request. The acquisition unit 21 of the information providing device 2 uses the user information sent from the terminal device 5 to obtain deduction-related information and income information of the user and other household members in the same household from the information source 3. Thus, in the first embodiment, the acquisition unit 21 of the information providing device 2 is equipped with the function to obtain deduction-related information and income information concerning other household members from the information source 3. Alternatively, for example, a request can be made from the terminal device 5 to the terminal device of another household member using a means of communication such as email, requesting that the other household member obtain deduction-related information (information on deduction certificates) and income information using their own terminal device. Furthermore, the system may be configured such that deduction-related information and income information acquired by other household members' terminal devices are sent to the information provider 2 via the user's terminal device 5, or directly to the information provider 2. Thus, the method by which deduction-related information and income information concerning other household members are acquired by the information provider 2 is not limited to the method shown in the first embodiment.

[0063] Figure 5 is a block diagram illustrating an example of the minimum configuration of an information providing device according to the present invention. The information providing device 30 in Figure 5 is, for example, a computer device and comprises an acquisition unit 31, a determination unit 32, a proposal unit 33, and an output unit 34 as functional units realized by executing a computer program. The acquisition unit 31 acquires income information, deduction-related information, and final tax information. The income information is information representing the income of the user household, which is a household including the user. The deduction-related information is information including the types of income deductions and payment amounts for the user household used when calculating taxable income. The final tax information is information representing the finalized taxable income for the user household.

[0064] The determination unit 32 uses the deduction-related information and final tax information of the user household to determine whether or not there are any omissions in the income deductions of the user household (in other words, whether or not the taxable income is appropriate).

[0065] The proposal unit 33 uses deduction-related information to generate proposal information representing a proposal to reduce taxable income.

[0066] The output unit 34 outputs information representing the result of the determination of whether or not there are any omissions in the income deductions, and suggested information.

[0067] Next, an example of the operation related to providing information on income tax and resident tax in the information provision device 30 will be explained with reference to Figure 6.

[0068] For example, the acquisition unit 31 acquires information such as income information, deduction-related information, and final tax information (step 201). Then, the determination unit 32 uses the deduction-related information and final tax information for the user household to determine whether or not there are any omissions in income deductions for the user household (in other words, whether or not the taxable income is appropriate) (step 202).

[0069] Furthermore, the proposal unit 33 uses the deduction-related information to generate proposal information representing a proposal to reduce taxable income (step 203). Subsequently, the output unit 34 outputs information representing the result of the determination of whether or not there are any omissions in the income deductions, along with the proposal information (step 204).

[0070] As described above, the information providing device 30 can provide information informing users of any missing income deductions, and can also provide information suggesting further income deductions. This allows the information providing device 30 to encourage users to properly manage their income tax and resident tax. [Explanation of symbols]

[0071] 2,30 Information provision device 21,31 Acquisition Department 22,32 Judgment part 23 Communications Department Proposal Department 24,33

Claims

1. An acquisition unit that acquires income information representing the income of a user household, which is a household including the user; deduction-related information including information on the types of income deductions and payment amounts for the user household used when calculating taxable income; and final tax information representing the finalized taxable income for the user household. A determination unit calculates the taxable income of the user household using the aforementioned income information and the aforementioned deduction-related information, and compares said taxable income with the confirmed taxable income included in the aforementioned confirmed tax information of the user household to determine whether or not there are any omissions in the income deductions for the user household. A proposal unit that, using predetermined countermeasure information and deduction-related information concerning means of reducing taxable income, detects at least one of the types of income deductions or the remaining deduction amount that can be further deducted from the user household, and generates proposal information that represents a proposal to reduce future taxable income, including the difference between the burden amount calculated using the confirmed taxable income and the burden amount calculated based on the detected information, which is calculated with respect to the burden amount that fluctuates according to taxable income. An output unit that outputs information representing the result of the determination of whether or not there are any omissions in the income deductions, and the proposed information. An information-providing device equipped with the following features.

2. The amount of the burden is the childcare fee for a childcare facility that meets the standards set by the national or local government, The proposed information includes information on childcare fees in the municipality where the user household resides. The information providing device according to claim 1.

3. The aforementioned proposed information includes information on income deductions that increase the amount of deductions. The information providing device according to claim 1 or claim 2.

4. By computer, The system obtains income information representing the income of the user household, which includes the user; deduction-related information including the types of income deductions and payment amounts for the user household used when calculating taxable income; and final tax information representing the finalized taxable income for the user household. Using the aforementioned income information and deduction-related information, the taxable income of the user household is calculated, and by comparing this taxable income with the confirmed taxable income included in the user household's confirmed tax information, it is determined whether or not there are any omissions in the income deductions for the user household. Using predetermined countermeasures information and deduction-related information concerning means of reducing taxable income, the system detects at least one of the types of income deductions or the remaining deduction amount that can be further deducted for the user household, and generates proposal information representing a proposal to reduce future taxable income, including the difference between the burden amount calculated using the confirmed taxable income and the burden amount calculated based on the detected information, which is calculated with respect to the burden amount that fluctuates according to taxable income. The output will include information representing the result of the determination of whether or not there are any omissions in the income deductions, and the aforementioned proposal information. Information provision method.

5. A process for obtaining income information representing the income of a user household, which is a household including the user; deduction-related information including the types of income deductions and payment amounts for the user household used when calculating taxable income; and final tax information representing the finalized taxable income for the user household. A process to determine whether there are any omissions in income deductions for the user household by using the income information and deduction-related information, and comparing said taxable income with the confirmed taxable income included in the user household's confirmed tax information, A process that uses predetermined countermeasures information and deduction-related information regarding means of reducing taxable income to detect at least one of the types of income deductions or the remaining deduction amount that can be further deducted in the user household, and generates proposal information that represents a proposal to reduce future taxable income, including the difference between the burden amount calculated using the confirmed taxable income and the burden amount calculated based on the detected information, which is calculated with respect to the burden amount that fluctuates according to taxable income. A process that outputs information representing the result of determining whether or not there are any omissions in the income deductions, and the aforementioned proposed information. A computer program that causes a computer to execute a command.

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