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Lesson 13
Review workshop outline here. Find the group you were assigned here. This is the group you will be working with throughout the workshop. Be ready to make a short group presentation of what you have learned (knowledge, process, skill, etc.) in class at the end of the workshop. Note: You do not need to work on the outline, this will be done in class.
As a group, answer in less than a 100-word paragraph the following questions: If you are expecting to pay taxes in Japan, is it better to plan for it relying on English or Japanese documents and guidelines? Why? Can LLM models help with that? Why? How?
Group1
When paying taxes in Japan, Japanese sources are overall more reliable because they contain accurate original information. Even though English sources are easier to understand for foreigners, it might overlook some details and lack in accuracy. LLM can help foreigners to find websites based on personal situations by prompting them, and they can also translate or summarize complex tax information. So LLMs will likely only be helpful in terms of translating, but you still need to verify that. They're most likely to be useful as an enhanced search engine and always follow the sourcing of the LLM.
Group2
Japanese documents are preferable for tax planning because they are the official source of Japan's rules and requirements, while English sources are often condensed summaries. For instance, Tokyo’s 23 wards apply a 10% resident tax rate (6% special ward, 4% metropolitan). Since resident tax is based on the previous year's income and where you reside on January 1, foreign residents must budget ahead for installments due in June, August, October, and January. LLMs can translate an official Japanese notice and help build a payment schedule accordingly, but given their occasional inaccuracy, verifying deadlines against official sources becomes crucial.
Group3
Your tax records are private. Uploading them to an LLM can cost you that privacy. For planning taxes in Japan, official Japanese instruction is the source of truth and contains most of the time more complete, current guidance. Although English resources are easier for foreigners to understand, translations may leave out important details or may not be updated regularly. LLMs can help with careful use to translate and summarize these documents, depending on how we prompt them. They can also help organize tax obligations, deadlines, and format them into a practical checklist. For example, it is better to provide them with official documents and verify their answers against the originals rather than just asking them to provide information.