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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.