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Our advisory services have achieved tariff reductions through utilization of EPA and FTA, and by paying early attention to changes in international commerce rules that can become management issues for global corporations.

Facing the problems of slow growth rate, low interest rates, population decline, etc., starting in the early 2010s, we foresaw that industrialized nations are likely to shift from direct taxation to indirect taxation, in which tax revenues are not likely to be affected by economic developments. Since governments in both industrialized and developing countries are moving rapidly to secure tax revenues through consumption tax and other indirect taxes in order to supplement the drop in revenues from corporate and income taxes, we believe this is likely to have a huge impact on the business economy.

 

At the same time, EPAs and FTAs* (free trade agreements) have been concluded among individual nations, speeding up the reduction and abolition of tariffs and propelling the world toward the age of EPAs and FTAs*.
The Japanese government’s policy direction has also led in recent years to the rapid conclusion of large-scale EPAs, also known as mega EPAs such as the TPP 11 and the Japan-EU economic partnership agreement, with major nations and regions around the world.

In particular, the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership agreement among 10 ASEAN countries, China, South Korea, Australia and New Zealand that took effect on January 1, 2022, was the first of its kind that included China, South Korea, and Japan as members and is expected to bring huge economic benefits for Japanese corporations. The enforcement of RCEP is estimated to raise the trade volume with all EPA and FTA partner nations to about 80% of the total trade volume for Japan.
These trade agreements have schemes that enable member nations on the importing side to gain benefits from the abolition and reduction of tariffs on exported goods. However, the current situation shows that many Japanese corporations are unable to make adequate use of these advantages.

 

Since 2015, Tokyo Kyodo Accounting Office has engaged in the development of advisory services that provide specific ideas in helping clients utilize EPAs and FTAs efficiently. We are providing businesses that engage in EPA and FTA businesses that are expected to become increasingly important management issues in the future.

 

 

 

* EPA (economic partnership agreement)
Economic Partnership Agreement: A comprehensive agreement concluded by two or more nations or regions in order to liberalize trade in goods and services and in addition, promote other activities such as movement of people and investments, government procurements, and bilateral cooperation, etc. (TPP (Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement) and RCEP (Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership) are such examples.)

* FTA (free trade agreement)
Free Trade Agreement: Agreement concluded among two or more nations and regions aimed at the abolition or reduction of tariffs on goods, barriers to service trade, etc. Generally speaking, EPA is broader in scope, while FTA focuses chiefly on liberalization of trade in goods and services.

 

The Strengths of Our Services

  • Offering development and delivery of new advisory services adapted to tax-related policies and market trends in Japan and other countries
  • Presence of teams of experts with extensive experience and knowledge in EPA and FTA that achieves tariff reductions
  • Development of JAFTAS®, our own EPA/FTA business platform, backed by our awareness of the issues in practical operation that is substantiated by our advisory performance for a total of 40,000 cases

The Strengths of Our Services

  • Offering development and delivery of new advisory services adapted to tax-related policies and market trends in Japan and other countries
  • Presence of teams of experts with extensive experience and knowledge in EPA and FTA that achieves tariff reductions
  • Development of JAFTAS®, our own EPA/FTA business platform, backed by our awareness of the issues in practical operation that is substantiated by our advisory performance for a total of 40,000 cases

Features of our services


EPA and FTA counseling

We offer advisory services oriented toward problem solving, based on our advisory performance for corporate officers in a total of 40,000 cases.

 

Since 2015, Tokyo Kyodo Accounting Office has received 40,000 or more inquiries from corporate officers involved in the area and offered them advisory services. Based on these experiences, we are offering advisory services that directly address the issues corporate officers face in utilizing EPAs and FTAs.

Recognition of our achievements resulted in receiving commission from the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry to operate the EPA Consultation Desk for nine straight years.

 

■ Research and analysis 

〇Research on EPA/FTA utilization

〇Measurement of EPA/FTA utilization effect

■ Education and training

〇In-house EPA/FTA training/supplier training

〇Creation of consultation desk specializing in EPA and FTA

■Support of internal processes and operations

〇Support in development of EPA/FTA internal control/support of internal system development

〇Review service

〇Outsourcing

〇JAFTAS®

■ Preparatory instructions and ex post facto research

〇Support in giving preparatory instructions

〇Support in inspection/ex post facto research

〇Simulated test/trial service

We offer advisory services oriented toward problem solving, based on our advisory performance for corporate officers in a total of 40,000 cases.

 

Since 2015, Tokyo Kyodo Accounting Office has received 40,000 or more inquiries from corporate officers involved in the area and offered them advisory services. Based on these experiences, we are offering advisory services that directly address the issues corporate officers face in utilizing EPAs and FTAs.

Recognition of our achievements resulted in receiving commission from the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry to operate the EPA Consultation Desk for nine straight years.

 

■Research and analysis 

〇Research on EPA/FTA utilization

〇Measurement of EPA/FTA utilization effect

■Education and training

〇In-house EPA/FTA training/supplier training

〇Creation of consultation desk specializing in EPA and FTA

■Support of internal processes and operations

〇Support in development of EPA/FTA internal control/support of internal system development

〇Review service

〇Outsourcing

〇JAFTAS®

■Preparatory instructions and ex post facto research

〇Support in giving preparatory instructions

〇Support in inspection/ex post facto research

〇Simulated test/trial service


JAFTAS®

A shared platform and expert support, drastically reduces work in troublesome and difficult investigations into origin qualifications.

 

For greater promotion of “made in Japan” manufacturing in world markets, boosting market competitiveness through the effective use of FTAs is expanding and becoming a common practice in global business.

In order to reap the benefits from tariff advantage through FTA utilization, the entire supply chain for the exported product must certify that its origin is Japan. However, certification of origin requires an understanding of the rules on the place of origin set forth by each agreement and research and information gathering for the entire supply chain that covers Japan and other countries. For this reason, it is extremely cumbersome and demanding in terms of the workload.

JAFTAS® has been created as a common platform to be shared by the client and respondents involved in the origin certification research, by consolidating transmission and reception of inquiries from multiple businesses and responses from multiple businesses in one location, achieving smooth communication and efficient progress control. By following the procedure for inquiry transmission/reception and response set forth by the system, the operation has become standardized, creating an environment for efficient operation.

Furthermore, experts who have experienced numerous counseling cases regarding FTA, including operation of the EPA Consultation Desk, provide support by keeping close and alleviating the doubts and insecurities of our corporate clients. We provide total support in fostering understanding of the origin rule and production of certification documents.

 

■ Invitation to JAFTAS® shared platform

■Request/response in origin qualifications research

■Origin qualifications research

■Support in certification documentation

■Consolidated management of documents in storage

■ Information security measures

A shared platform and expert support, drastically reduces work in troublesome and difficult investigations into origin qualifications.

 

For greater promotion of “made in Japan” manufacturing in world markets, boosting market competitiveness through the effective use of FTAs is expanding and becoming a common practice in global business.

In order to reap the benefits from tariff advantage through FTA utilization, the entire supply chain for the exported product must certify that its origin is Japan. However, certification of origin requires an understanding of the rules on the place of origin set forth by each agreement and research and information gathering for the entire supply chain that covers Japan and other countries. For this reason, it is extremely cumbersome and demanding in terms of the workload.

JAFTAS® has been created as a common platform to be shared by the client and respondents involved in the origin certification research, by consolidating transmission and reception of inquiries from multiple businesses and responses from multiple businesses in one location, achieving smooth communication and efficient progress control. By following the procedure for inquiry transmission/reception and response set forth by the system, the operation has become standardized, creating an environment for efficient operation.

Furthermore, experts who have experienced numerous counseling cases regarding FTA, including operation of the EPA Consultation Desk, provide support by keeping close and alleviating the doubts and insecurities of our corporate clients. We provide total support in fostering understanding of the origin rule and production of certification documents.

 

■Invitation to JAFTAS® shared platform

■Request/response in origin qualifications research

■Origin qualifications research

■Support in certification documentation

■Consolidated management of documents in storage

■Information security measures

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JAFTAS®

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