Given the many discussions we have had on this Forum on the LDP and its reluctance to crack down on tax avoidance by creating a unified tax ID system, and even speculation that one reason the DPJ did poorly in the
2010 Upper House election was because of Kan broaching this idea, it was striking last week to see Abe proposing to create just such a ID system, or what is being called "My Number." Although it is not specifically being sold as a means to crack down on tax evasion, there's no doubt from the contents that it will facilitate just that. It also appears to be a belated attempt by Abe to respond to the pension record scandal of 2007 that brought down his earlier administration; a major reason for missing pension records was the lack of a personal number that could be used to match pension payments with payees. Overtime this could prove to be an important revenue raising measure. Any thoughts on why Abe is embracing a national tax ID system now?

Paul Midford