TPS has developed and operated a hometown tax donation (furusato nozei) platform for more than five years, growing it from an online portal into three connected production systems.
About the client
The client operates a hometown tax donation service in Japan. Municipalities join the platform as tenants, each with its own storefront, carriers, payment methods and legal documents.
Local producers supply return gifts, while donors use the service to make donations and receive the tax documents required for filing.
Challenges
The platform needed to support both e-commerce operations and the additional requirements of Japan's hometown tax donation system.
Complex business requirements
Standard e-commerce functions had to work alongside municipality-specific rules, tax documentation and public-sector processes.
Seasonal demand peaks
Donation activity increases sharply in December as the annual tax deduction deadline approaches.
Continuous platform expansion
New donation channels and additional capabilities had to be introduced year after year without stopping the existing service.
Long-term operational needs
The operator required an engineering team capable of developing, extending and maintaining the platform over multiple years.
Solution
TPS established a standing engineering team that developed and extended the platform in layers while it remained operational. The client's operations calendar determined development priorities.
Operate the core donation platform
Support municipality-specific catalogues and eligibility rules, ordering, payments, fulfilment, carrier waybills, cancellations and refunds.
Complete the tax and settlement cycle
Handle tax receipts, one-stop exception documents and periodic settlement with producers, partners and municipalities.
Expand donation channels
Introduce in-person donation points, regional digital points, QR gift tickets and mobile donation flows.
Integrate external services
Connect payment gateways with fraud screening and 3-D Secure, carrier tracking, external furusato portals and municipal ledger systems.
Build the corporate donation platform
Develop a separate platform where companies can support municipal projects through cash or in-kind contributions.
From a core donation portal to a broader ecosystem supporting municipalities, donors, producers and corporate contributors.
Donation Portal
The core multi-tenant platform supporting donation processing and municipality operations.
Corporate Donation Platform
A dedicated platform enabling companies to fund municipal projects through cash or in-kind donations.
Gift Ticket System
QR-based gift tickets supporting donation-related gift redemption through online and in-person channels.
Connected Services
& 3-D Secure
& Fulfilment
Portals
Ledger Systems
Conceptual overview of the three production systems and the external integrations supporting the donation service.
Results
Over more than five years, the platform expanded from an online donation portal into three connected production systems while continuing to support day-to-day operations.
Three systems in production
The donation portal, corporate donation platform and gift ticket system operate as connected services.
Multi-tenant municipality operations
Each municipality has its own storefront, carriers, payment methods, documents and reports.
38 end-to-end business flows
Operational processes cover the donation lifecycle, from municipality onboarding through to partner payouts.
Continuous channel expansion
In-person donation points, regional digital points, QR gift tickets and mobile flows were added while the service stayed live.
In 2026, the platform's existing business operations were documented at three levels of detail.
Business Flows
Stages
Working Steps
Figures represent the AS-IS operational documentation completed in 2026.
Built to evolve while staying operational
The engagement did not end with the initial platform launch. TPS continued extending its capabilities as the client's operational needs and donation channels evolved.
Core donation operations
Establish the online donation portal, municipality-specific operations, payments, fulfilment and tax processing.
Additional donation channels
Extend access through mobile flows, QR gift tickets, in-person donation points and regional digital points.
Expanded platform ecosystem
Develop the corporate donation platform and gift ticket system alongside the existing portal.
2026 operational documentation
Document 38 end-to-end business flows across 202 stages and 657 working steps.
Why it matters for you
When your platform is your business, long-term engineering matters. Digital platforms supporting complex operations need more than a successful initial launch. Continuous development, reliable day-to-day operation and the ability to introduce new capabilities are essential as business needs evolve.
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