Two child-modeling agencies that have been criticized by parents for failing to promote their sons and daughters evaded 70 million yen in taxes, sources said.
According to Izumi and other sources, the two companies charged about 50,000 yen for promotional work, photos and other services for each child to help them land modeling jobs.
Those fees apparently made up the bulk of the agencies' income.
Izumi said Atlas Promotion and its affiliates at one time had about 20,000 children registered across the country. The figure could rise to 60,000 if those who canceled their registrations are included.
However, Izumi said only about 15 percent of the registered children were actually referred to modeling jobs.
Many parents complained that the company was doing nothing to land modeling gigs for their children.
A 31-year-old woman whose 5-year-old son was approached by a company employee in spring 2005 in Yokohama said she paid about 50,000 yen for a photo shoot, and received a promotional catalogue of the company that carried her son's photo. Read More
