Wouldn’t it be possible for Universe to run a tax accountant column about papa-katsu (compensated dating in Japan)? I’d hate to see our female members get in trouble with the tax office. And it would be a hassle if the tax office started contacting male members as a result.

I’m Tetsu, a male member. There are all kinds of tax accountants, after all. These days, though, many of them seem to act as if they’re on the tax office’s side—choosing to make the taxpayer pay rather than make a judgment that could leave them personally responsible, so to speak (lol). The tax office isn’t going to come after you over every little thing. They’re not exactly sitting around with nothing to do. Thanks to the Democratic Party taking power and carrying out civil service reforms, staffing has been reduced, overtime is now almost impossible, and budgets are tight. The result is a serious lack of manpower. Because they’re short-staffed, employee training has also suffered, while new systems keep being introduced one after another. So the staff aren’t studying enough, and their investigative abilities have declined as well. To begin with, there’s no law saying that papa-katsu (compensated dating in Japan) allowances are taxable. Income tax or gift tax applies because people go and say they “received” the money. Words can be scary, can’t they? (lol)

Maezawa from the President’s Office here. > Why doesn’t Universe run a tax accountant’s column about papa-katsu? I don’t think we’d turn down a tax accountant who wanted to write one, so I imagine we’d start a tax accountant column if someone came forward. The fact that there isn’t one at the moment probably means no one has volunteered. So please start by finding a tax accountant who’d be willing to write it. That said, you can find all kinds of information online these days, so I would think that’s enough. Are you saying that many women receive their allowance in some unusual way?

I’m in Seattle. Just like with diplomacy, there are probably plenty of situations where keeping things vague instead of spelling them out is the right approach.

I’m Kazu, a male member. https://universe-club.jp/female/writer-recruit/ I’d really love for you to apply to become a column writer.