More than half of Japan's top 100 taxpayers last year earned income from stock transactions, with many making windfall profits from the listing of companies in which they have an interest, the National Tax Administration said Tuesday.
A tax administration report said 51 of the top taxpayers earned income from stocks, the largest number since it began releasing information on the amount of tax paid by the country's 100 wealthiest taxpayers in 1983.
The prevalence of income from stocks reflects the boom in high-tech and Internet-related shares triggered by rapid information technology advances, tax administration officials said.