Opening of Consultation Service for Overpaid Inheritance Tax of 50.7 Billion Yen Annually - A Service to Reduce Tax Burden on Children After Saying Goodbye to Parents

"Inheritance Tax Refund Consultation Office" Service Site (Image)

Service Site

WataSelica Inc. (Headquarters: Chuo-ku, Tokyo; President and CEO: Masatoshi Akaba; hereinafter referred to as "the Company") will open the "Inheritance Tax Refund Consultation Office," a dedicated support desk for inheritance tax refund procedures, on July 1, 2026, at 9:00 AM. This service, in collaboration with Zen Nihon Souzoku Giken Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Chuo-ku, Tokyo; President and CEO: Tomohito Mimori; hereinafter referred to as "Zen Nihon Souzoku Giken"), targets individuals who have filed an inheritance tax return within the past five years, offering comprehensive support from free consultations to refund applications for inheritance tax that may have been overpaid.

Especially in inheritances involving real estate, overpayments are prone to occur due to the complexity of land valuation, and there are many cases where "money can be recovered without realizing it." Through this service, we aim to reduce the financial burden on the child generation and promote intergenerational dialogue triggered by end-of-life planning.

Inheritance Tax is Prone to Overpayment

According to the "Overview of Inheritance Tax Filing Results for Reiwa 6 (2024)" released by the National Tax Agency, the number of individuals subject to inheritance tax (number of deceased persons for whom inheritance tax returns were filed) in 2024 was 166,730. The taxation rate, which was 8.3% five years ago, increased to 10.4% in 2024. This means that one out of every ten people who died in that year was subject to inheritance tax filing, indicating that inheritance tax is no longer a tax only for a select few wealthy individuals but has become a more familiar tax for many.

While the spousal tax exemption applies to inheritances between spouses (primary inheritance), allowing for tax exemption up to 160 million yen, this exemption does not apply to inheritances to children (secondary inheritance). Therefore, a particularly high tax burden tends to arise in cases of inheritance from parents to children. However, due to factors such as the complexity of land valuation, which accounts for approximately 30% of inherited assets, discrepancies in valuation occur, leading to cases where more tax is declared and paid than should have been.

According to the National Tax Agency's "Reiwa 6 Statistical Yearbook '2 Direct Taxes Inheritance Tax,'" in the past fiscal year, 6,421 cases where past inheritance tax filings or land valuations were reviewed resulted in a reduction or refund of a total of 49.417 billion yen. When combined with the 1.36 billion yen in refunds generated in the year of filing, approximately 50.7 billion yen in overpayments is generated annually and returned to taxpayers.

Based on the above, we have established the "Inheritance Tax Refund Consultation Office" to inform a wider audience that inheritance tax refund procedures are not limited to a select few wealthy individuals but are a measure potentially available to many inheritance taxpayers, and will begin offering services from July 1.

The Future Aimed for by the Inheritance Tax Refund Consultation Office

At the "Inheritance Tax Refund Consultation Office" newly established by our company, experienced tax accountants with expertise in inheritance tax filings will conduct refund possibility reviews with the full cooperation of Zen Nihon Souzoku Giken Co., Ltd. Fees will only be incurred if a refund is received, operating on a complete success-fee basis, to prevent overpayments and carefully protect assets passed down from parents to children.

WataSelica, which supports individuals engaged in end-of-life planning, believes that the "Inheritance Tax Refund Consultation Office" can contribute to lowering the hurdles that often arise when starting end-of-life planning. In end-of-life planning, issues such as differences in opinion or "inability to gain understanding for end-of-life planning" can occur when there is little intergenerational dialogue or information sharing. However, by understanding the inheritance tax refund system through the "Inheritance Tax Refund Consultation Office," the end-of-life planning (parent) generation can leave more assets to the child generation, which in turn will make the child generation more inclined to actively support their parents' end-of-life planning. This will increase opportunities for end-of-life planning to be discussed between parents and children, allowing for end-of-life planning that more deeply reflects the wishes of both generations, rather than being based on one-sided assumptions.

While "end-of-life planning" is often perceived as thinking about the end of one's own or one's spouse's life, important aspects of end-of-life planning also include preparing for the next generation, gathering information, and passing on one's own wishes, experiences, and assets to the future. Through this service, which supports the end-of-life planning generation who think of the next generation, we will expand our system to comprehensively support individuals engaged in end-of-life planning and their families.

Service Site URL

https://wataselica.co.jp/service/tax-refund

Changes in End-of-Life Planning Phase and Time Progression

Company Profile of Zen Nihon Souzoku Giken Co., Ltd.

Company Name: Zen Nihon Souzoku Giken Co., Ltd.

Location: 7F, Nihonbashi Mizuno Bldg., 1-11-12 Nihonbashi Muromachi, Chuo-ku, Tokyo

Representative: Tomohito Mimori, President and CEO

URL: https://souzoku-tech.com

Masatoshi Akaba, President and CEO of WataSelica Inc.

Message from the Representative of WataSelica Inc.

This service has been realized through my connection with Mr. Mimori, the representative of Zen Nihon Souzoku Giken. I have been exchanging opinions with Mr. Mimori, who is also involved in services such as home delivery for the elderly, regarding support for the elderly and industry challenges for about six years. I understand that Zen Nihon Souzoku Giken was founded with the wish that no one else would experience the same hardships that Mr. Mimori himself went through during his father's inheritance.

Despite the existence of a system for refunding overpaid inheritance tax, many people are unaware of its existence or how to utilize it, and they miss out on refund opportunities they could potentially receive. Recognizing this as an issue, they have been providing services. In this context, our company's approach of addressing end-of-life planning for the parent generation who will be the deceased and providing comprehensive support to both the individual and their family resonated with Mr. Mimori, leading us to partner together to announce the "Inheritance Tax Refund Consultation Office" to the public.

We feel greatly reassured to be able to develop this service alongside Zen Nihon Souzoku Giken, a pioneer with extensive knowledge.

Inheritance tax refunds are not just about getting taxes back; they are one option that allows for the transfer of more assets and sentiments to family members. Through the "Inheritance Tax Refund Consultation Office," we will contribute to creating an environment where more people can understand the system correctly and engage in end-of-life planning with peace of mind.

Moving forward, we will continue to build services that are truly needed by our customers, one by one, in pursuit of our mission to "support all individuals engaged in end-of-life planning to design a life they feel is 'my style.'"

Company Profile of WataSelica Inc.

"WataSelica - Creating my world, by myself."

"WataSelica. It is a place to freely choose the future."

Company Name: WataSelica Inc.

Location: 7F, Biz Feel Ginza East, 1-14-10 Shinkawa, Chuo-ku, Tokyo

Representative: Masatoshi Akaba, President and CEO

Established: July 7, 2025

URL: https://wataselica.co.jp

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Souzoku no Madoguchi (Inheritance Consultation Service) https://wataselica.co.jp/service/sozoku

Memorial Care Pro https://wataselica.co.jp/service/memorial-care-pro

Inheritance Tax Refund Consultation Office https://wataselica.co.jp/service/tax-refund