The Japan Tourism Agency will seek to expand the scope of consumption tax-free shopping for foreign visitors as part of efforts to spread the economic benefits of a tourism boom throughout the country, officials said Thursday.

The tourism agency will call for lowering the minimum expenditure amount exempt from the 8 percent tax to ¥5,000 (about $40) from the current ¥10,001. It would be applicable for a total purchase amount at a single shop by one person per day.

The request will be made soon, as part of the annual calls for tax changes in the next fiscal year.