Japan May End a Tax Break That Encourages Women to Work Less
- Tax deduction has encouraged married women to curb their hours
- It hurts Abe’s push to have women play a bigger economic role
Japan's Latest Move to Get Women Back to Work
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Japan may ax a longstanding spousal tax deduction that encourages many married women to limit paid work as pressure grows for Shinzo Abe’s government to head off a labor shortage and make good on its womenomics goals.
The government is examining how to eliminate a tax advantage that goes to couples when one of them earns less than 1.03 million yen a year (about $10,000), regardless of how much money the other makes, according to people with knowledge of the matter. The current measure may be replaced by one that considers the combined income of the wife and husband, they said, noting that the discussions are still private.