The National Tax Agency has announced that its AI-powered chatbot, known as Futaba, has begun accepting consultations related to the year-end tax adjustment (nenmatsu chosei) for the Reiwa 8 tax year, which corresponds to 2026 ^[1]. The chatbot is accessible through the agency's website under the section for questioning the chatbot, and users can either select topics from a menu or type questions freely in text, with the AI automatically generating responses ^[1]. According to the National Tax Agency, the service is available 24 hours a day, except during maintenance periods, including weekends and nighttime hours ^[1].

In addition to year-end tax adjustment questions for Reiwa 8, the chatbot currently covers income tax final returns for Reiwa 7, consumption tax final returns for Reiwa 7, questions about the invoice system, and gift tax filing for Reiwa 7, though the agency notes that the exact scope of available topics should be confirmed on the actual chatbot screen since it may change ^[1].

The agency states that the chatbot works on personal computers, smartphones, and tablets, and lists tested compatible environments including Windows 11 and macOS Sequoia or Tahoe with Chrome, Edge, or Safari browsers, as well as iOS and Android devices using Safari or Chrome ^[1]. Users are advised to use the latest browser versions ^[1].

Importantly, the National Tax Agency clarifies that this is an AI service, not a live chat with a human staff member, and if the AI does not understand a question, users should try rephrasing it ^[1]. The agency also warns users not to input personal information, and notes that the chatbot is designed to handle frequently asked questions rather than every possible inquiry ^[1]. For foreign residents, a key detail is that the agency explicitly states both the income tax final return and year-end tax adjustment consultation functions assume the user is a resident of Japan ^[1]. The agency further cautions that responses are general explanations, and that taxpayers remain responsible for their own filing decisions and content, suggesting users consult the Tax Answer (Tax Q&A) resource if anything is unclear ^[1]. The agency also discloses that it records usage history, including questions asked, answers given, device and browser information, referring URLs, IP addresses, and survey responses, in order to improve the chatbot's accuracy and functionality ^[1].

Source credit 出典：「税務相談チャットボットで年末調整（令和８年分）の相談を開始しました」（国税庁）（https://www.nta.go.jp/taxes/shiraberu/chatbot/index.htm）、PDL1.0（https://www.digital.go.jp/resources/open_data/public_data_license_v1.0）を加工してJapan News (j.apan.news)が作成 This article is Japan News's own English summary of the Japanese original. It has been translated and edited by Japan News; it is not an official translation, and the National Tax Agency did not write or review it.