Article 397Offenses Relating to Refusal of Inspection, etc. by Prefectural Officials and Officials of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications Concerning Fixed Assets Tax
第三百九十七条（固定資産税に係る道府県の職員及び総務省の職員が行う検査拒否等に関する罪）
In a case that falls under any of the following items, the person who committed the violation is to be punished by imprisonment for not more than one year or a fine of not more than 500,000 yen:
次の各号のいずれかに該当する場合には、その違反行為をした者は、一年以下の拘禁刑又は五十万円以下の罰金に処する。
when the person refuses, obstructs or evades inspection of books and documents or other articles under Article 396;
第三百九十六条の規定による帳簿書類その他の物件の検査を拒み、妨げ、又は忌避したとき。
when the person fails, without justifiable grounds, to comply with a request for presentation or submission of articles under Article 396, paragraph (1), or presents or submits books and documents or other articles (including copies thereof) containing false entries or records;
第三百九十六条第一項の規定による物件の提示又は提出の要求に対し、正当な理由がなくこれに応ぜず、又は偽りの記載若しくは記録をした帳簿書類その他の物件（その写しを含む。）を提示し、若しくは提出したとき。
when the person fails to give an answer to a question by a designated prefectural official or an official designated by the Minister for Internal Affairs and Communications under Article 396, or gives a false answer.
Where a representative of a corporation, or an agent, employee or other worker of a corporation or person, has committed a violation set forth in the preceding paragraph in connection with the business or property of that corporation or person, in addition to punishing the offender, the fine prescribed in that paragraph is to be imposed on that corporation or person.
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official designated by the Minister for Internal Affairs and Communicationsmachine translation
「総務省指定職員」
An official whom the Minister for Internal Affairs and Communications (総務大臣) designates to question the persons listed in Article 144-38 (light oil delivery tax), Article 396 (fixed assets tax) or Article 72-49-5 or 72-63 (enterprise tax) and to inspect their business books, records and other items, or have them shown or submitted.
Short name set inArticle 396, paragraph (1)· applies only in this article and in Articles 396-2 to 397
designated prefectural officialmachine translation
「道府県指定職員」
An official of a prefecture whom the governor designates and who, under Article 396, may question persons and inspect records where needed for an examination for deciding fixed asset values, or for advice or a recommendation on the fixed assets tax (固定資産税).
Short name set inArticle 396, paragraph (1)· applies only in this article and in Article 397
fine
罰金
A criminal punishment of paying money to the state, of 10,000 yen or more, or less where it is reduced (Penal Code, Article 15). It ranks below imprisonment (拘禁刑) and above penal detention (拘留) and a petty fine (科料) (Articles 9 and 10, paragraph (1)). A person who cannot pay it in full is held in a workhouse (労役場) for one day to two years, or up to three years where fines are imposed together, a period set when the sentence is passed (Article 18, paragraphs (1), (3) and (4)); not within thirty days of the sentence becoming final without the person's consent (paragraph (5)). If it is not enforced for three years after the sentence becomes final, the person is released from it by prescription (Articles 31 and 32, item (v)); the three years do not run while its execution is suspended under law or the person is abroad, and an act of execution interrupts them (Articles 33 and 34, paragraph (2)).
Written by AI using Penal Code, Arts. 9, 10, 15, 18, 31 to 34 as a reference.
imprisonment
拘禁刑
The punishment of being held in a penal institution (刑事施設), for life or for a fixed term of one month to twenty years (Penal Code, Article 12, paragraphs (1) and (2)); a fixed term can be raised to thirty years where the punishment is aggravated, or cut below one month where it is reduced (Article 14, paragraph (2)). To help the person reform and rehabilitate, they may be made to do work or given guidance (Article 12, paragraph (3)). It ranks below the death penalty and above a fine (罰金) among the principal punishments (Articles 9 and 10, paragraph (1)). It replaced imprisonment with work (懲役) and imprisonment without work (禁錮) when the Act Partially Amending the Penal Code, etc. (Act No. 67 of 2022) came into force (Act No. 67 of 2022, Article 2), and a person sentenced to either is treated, for the rules on a person's qualifications, as sentenced to imprisonment for the same term (Act No. 68 of 2022, Article 443, paragraph (1)).
Written by AI using Penal Code, Arts. 9, 10, 12, 14, Act No. 67 of 2022, Art. 2 and Act No. 68 of 2022, Art. 443 as a reference.