The National Tax Service announced on the 4th that it plans to establish the 'National Tax Delinquency Management Team' in March next year and hire regular citizens as situation verification personnel. The citizen delinquency management team will conduct a delinquency status survey directly checking the economic conditions of all delinquents (1.33 million as of the end of 2024) for three years from 2026 to 2028.
The National Tax Delinquency Management Team will confirm the living standards of delinquents and provide support so that those facing financial difficulties can receive welfare benefits. For malicious high-value and habitual delinquents, the plan is to strengthen delinquency collection activities, including on-site searches and civil lawsuits.
The National Tax Service has established a delinquency management organization composed of new tax officials since the previous day and started a pilot operation for situation verification. During the pilot operation, the National Tax Service plans to address any issues regarding taxpayer inconveniences or conflicts with the public that arise and incorporate relevant know-how into future operation manuals.
During the pilot operation of the delinquency management team, the National Tax Service also discovered taxpayers from vulnerable welfare sectors. A person surnamed A, living on the outskirts of Daejeon, was a small-scale delinquent who had been struggling since he lost his sight in an accident three years ago, living with his spouse in difficult circumstances. Urgent treatment for his blindness and welfare support was needed, but he could not receive assistance due to the lack of a caretaker to help him go out. The National Tax Service confirmed this fact and took action to ensure emergency welfare support in collaboration with the local government.
There were also cases where payment avoidance was deliberate. A person surnamed B, who was delinquent on gift tax, hid the delinquency by using a stock registration trust, registered a fake address for a corporate temporary warehouse, and disguised his living situation by living in an officetel shared with a common-law partner. Through investigation, the National Tax Service confirmed that B actually resided in an expensive apartment and owned five luxury cars, including a Rolls-Royce and a Benz.
Subsequently, cash and jewelry worth several hundred million won were seized through a house search. The establishment of false collateral rights was also uncovered. The National Tax Service plans to initiate a lawsuit and proceed with public auction disposal of the relevant apartment to collect the delinquent amount.
A National Tax Service official noted, "We will closely assess the situations of taxpayers through the operation of the National Tax Delinquency Management Team and realize fair tax administration."