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Nikkei research found that SoftBank Group, once Japan's most profitable company, faced corporate income tax four times over the last 15 years.  © Illustration by Chuan Ming Ong

The mystery of SoftBank's zero tax bill

Nikkei investigation reveals years of huge profits and no taxes for Japan's top tech investor

TOKYO -- For years, Japanese tax regulators have been grappling with a mystery that has also become their biggest headache: Why does SoftBank Group -- which became Japan's most profitable company last year -- pay so little tax?

Officials from the Tokyo Regional Taxation Bureau have conducted tax inspections almost every year in recent years to check the accuracy of SoftBank's tax filings, even flying to London in one instance to check documents.

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