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Living in Korea

Korea Income Tax Calculator

Calculate your Korean income tax — see progressive brackets, deductions, effective rate, and compare with the 19% flat tax option for foreigners.

1Annual Gross Salary

만원 (₩10K)

= ₩50,000,000 / year = ₩4,166,667 / month

2Dependents (부양가족)

3Non-taxable Meal Allowance

Most Korean companies provide ₩200,000/month non-taxable meal allowance (식대).

Tax Bracket Breakdown

6% bracket₩0 ~ ₩14,000,000
₩840,000
15% bracket₩14,000,000 ~ ₩50,000,000
₩2,301,679
Taxable base (과세표준)₩29,344,526
Income tax (소득세)₩2,481,679
Local income tax (지방소득세, 10%)₩248,168
Total tax₩2,729,847
Effective tax rate5.5%

Progressive vs. 19% Flat Tax

Foreigners in Korea can choose the 19% flat tax rate (no deductions applied) instead of the progressive system. This is often better for high earners.

Progressive (일반과세)
₩2,729,847
5.5% effective
Better option
19% Flat (단일세율)
₩9,948,400
19.9% effective

You save ₩7,218,553/year by choosing the progressive option.

Compare both options in detail: Tax Comparison Calculator

Social Insurance Deductions (4대보험)

National Pension (국민연금, 4.75%)₩2,261,000/yr
Health Insurance + LTC (건강+장기요양)₩1,936,074/yr
Employment Insurance (고용보험, 0.9%)₩428,400/yr
Total insurance₩4,625,474/yr

Korean Tax Brackets Explained

Korea uses a progressive income tax system (종합소득세) with 8 brackets ranging from 6% to 45%. Your income is taxed at increasingly higher rates as it passes through each bracket — you do not pay the top rate on your entire income.

Year-end settlement (연말정산):Every January-February, your employer calculates your actual tax liability for the previous year versus what was withheld monthly. If you overpaid, you get a refund; if you underpaid, you owe the difference. This is Korea's version of filing taxes, and most employees don't need to file separately.

How to file: As a foreign employee, your employer handles year-end settlement. You may need to submit receipts for medical expenses, education costs, donations, and card usage via the Hometax (홈택스) system. Alternatively, foreigners can elect the 19% flat tax rate, which requires no deductions — just a flat calculation on total salary.

✓Updated for 2026Last reviewed October 6, 2026See what changed

Written and reviewed by Taeyang Kim · Rates and thresholds are taken directly from the official notices of Korea's National Tax Service, National Pension Service, National Health Insurance Service, Ministry of Employment and Labor, and Minimum Wage Commission. Results are non-binding estimates for reference only and may differ from the actual amount depending on your circumstances. Found a mistake? Tell us through Contact.