Thirty-one banks operating in Tokyo paid a combined 92.4 billion yen to the Tokyo Metropolitan Government as local tax based on their revenues in fiscal 2002, which ended March 31, metro government sources said Friday.

The tax imposed exclusively on banks has been declared illegal twice by courts, but the metropolitan government is continuing to collect it, pending a decision by the Supreme Court.

Some of the banks submitted a letter, along with the tax payment, to the metro government saying the payment does not mean they regard the tax as legitimate.

The metropolitan government in April 2000 put the tax into force for five years.