In public policy, well-meaning but complicated ideas are often undone by a catchy name.

The U.K. had its "bedroom tax,” the U.S. its periodic battles over the "death tax.” Now it’s Japan’s turn, with the "singles tax” set to be imposed starting next month, part of financing for measures to boost fertility rates.

There are two substantial problems with the name, which originated on social media as a substitute for the less-catchy official term, the "Child and Child-Rearing Support Contribution.” The first is that it’s not a tax, but an additional payment to public health-insurance premiums paid by all workers. The other is that it’s not levied on singles — all contributors will pay the average of ¥250 ($1.60) a month, set to rise in the future, regardless of whether they have children.

It was introduced by former Prime Minister Fumio Kishida to pay for policies on the level of Scandinavian countries to encourage more kids, including increasing child care availability and allowances for additional children. But the singles tax moniker stuck because it has an element of truth: While everyone might pay, households with children get back far more in handouts than they put in, while the burden only grows for those without.

The name is one reason why,........

© The Japan Times