The National Tax Service's delinquent tax management team has identified vulnerable households while verifying the living conditions of delinquent taxpayers, connecting them to welfare support for care, medical, and housing needs. By the end of August, the team assessed the situations of 214,000 delinquent taxpayers, linking 2,400 of them to welfare assistance.
On September 30, the National Tax Service announced that it held an awards ceremony on September 29 at the Seoul Regional Tax Office for 21 exemplary assessors and winners of a personal story contest. The event was organized to share the achievements of the delinquent tax management teams from seven regional tax offices ahead of their activities concluding on October 8.
The delinquent tax management team verifies the assets, living conditions, and payment capabilities of taxpayers to identify those intentionally avoiding payment, while connecting those in financial distress to welfare support. By the end of August, the tax obligations of 7,345 low-income delinquent taxpayers, totaling 120.8 billion won, were eliminated.
During their assessments, the teams uncovered crisis situations that were not apparent from the delinquency alone. One team discovered that an elderly taxpayer in their 80s had been deprived of their only source of income, a basic pension, by illegal loan sharks for over a decade. They assisted in formally reporting the case to the police and coordinated welfare support.
Another case involved a taxpayer in their 70s living alone in a house at risk of collapse. The assessor found severe cracks in the exterior walls and slate roof, and the residence lacked gas and water facilities. They requested assistance from local authorities, who coordinated with private welfare organizations to facilitate relocation, alleviating the tax burden through the elimination of low-income tax obligations.
A taxpayer in their 30s, who took on financial debts while running a restaurant with their father, was connected to job support through a community center. The assessment revealed their determination to get back on their feet, prompting assistance with job-seeking activities.
Conversely, cases were also identified where individuals suspected of having the ability to pay were not fulfilling their tax obligations. One taxpayer was found living in a high-end residential complex with monthly rent and management fees totaling several million won, and it was revealed they had received high lecture fees until a few years ago. The National Tax Service is considering classifying this individual as a suspected intentional tax evader and is reviewing the selection of cases for asset tracing to verify income and asset transfers.
Speaking on behalf of the award recipients, Kang Mi-young, an assessor from the Daegu Regional Tax Office, stated that the role of assessors is “not just to inform about delinquent amounts, but to reconnect taxpayers with society.”
The personal story contest, held from September 7 to 16, saw participation from 316 individuals, including assessors and accompanying officials. The National Tax Service selected 22 entries, including two grand prize winners, and plans to use the award-winning works and exemplary cases as educational materials and in a collection of case studies.
Im Kwang-hyun, head of the National Tax Service, emphasized, “What you have verified is not just numbers, but people. This is about protecting those who diligently pay their taxes and preparing for the future of our society.”
Currently, 500 members of the delinquent tax management team are active across seven regional tax offices. Even after the conclusion of these local activities, 5,500 members of the national and local delinquent tax management teams, deployed to 133 tax offices nationwide since July, will continue their field activities. An additional 4,000 members of the non-tax revenue delinquent management team are set to be deployed in October.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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