You won’t see dueling valuation experts in divorce or estate tax matters in Japan. That’s because BV is done using a simple formula set out in the country’s tax law. It’s essentially a plug-and-chug exercise, a Japanese audit executive tells BVWire. The valuations are done by certified tax practitioners, not credentialed valuation experts (of which there are not many) nor certified accountants. The experts are sometimes appointed by the courts or the parties can choose one, but it doesn’t matter because they all must use the same inputs and formula. The executive, who shall remain unidentified, says this simple process “keeps the lawyers at bay.”