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Hongkongers and other overseas tourists visiting Japan will only be able to claim back the consumption tax they have paid upon leaving the country starting from 2026, according to media reports.
Reports of the planned change came after Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba identified a series of abuses involving tourists suspected of illegally trading duty-free goods before their departure.
Kyodo News cited sources on Wednesday as saying the country planned to revise its duty-free rules for foreign visitors from the “latter half of the fiscal 2026”.
Currently, overseas tourists who spend more than 5,000 yen on goods for personal use at duty-free stores are exempted from paying the consumption tax, which is levied at 10 per cent.
The news outlet also quoted sources as saying the Japanese government could possibly add devices at airports and ports with international departures to check the purchasing history of overseas travellers.
Insiders told Kyodo that foreign visitors would no longer be exempted from paying the consumption tax if they mailed their duty-free products from post offices in Japan.