Shin Sang-jin, the mayor of Seongnam, pledged on October 6 to provide clear information on tax arrears and payment methods for foreign taxpayers.
Mayor Shin announced that a special period for resolving foreign local tax arrears will be established until November 30, focusing on intensive collection efforts for foreign delinquents.
This initiative is seen as a significant step by Mayor Shin to address the issue of foreign local tax arrears.
Currently, the total amount of local tax arrears owed by foreigners in Seongnam is approximately 1.53 billion won, with 4,566 individuals affected. This represents about 2% of the total foreign local tax arrears in Gyeonggi Province.
Through this special resolution period, Mayor Shin aims to enhance the convenience of payment for foreign taxpayers while also intensifying collection efforts against habitual and high-value delinquents.
To reduce cases of delinquency due to language barriers and a lack of understanding of administrative procedures, the city will strengthen multilingual guidance.
Informational materials and banners detailing local tax payment methods will be produced in six languages, including Vietnamese, Uzbek, and Cambodian, and will be made available at facilities frequented by foreigners, as well as at city and district offices and community centers.
Last month, Mayor Shin sent KakaoTalk notifications in Korean, English, and Chinese to foreign delinquents, outlining their arrears and payment methods.
Additionally, to prevent small arrears from accumulating over time, the city plans to focus on providing payment guidance to residents with unpaid local taxes.
Conversely, for intentional or repeated habitual and high-value delinquents, collection efforts will be intensified.
The city will investigate the assets of delinquents, including vehicles and real estate, for potential seizure, and will also implement license plate confiscation for vehicles with unpaid automobile taxes.
The city plans to verify whether foreign workers have signed up for exit insurance and return cost insurance, and will actively seek out assets that can be seized to collect unpaid local taxes from high-value delinquents.
This initiative aligns with Mayor Shin's emphasis on fair and responsible administration.
He stated that the same principles will apply to all taxpayers, regardless of nationality or residency status, ensuring that they can easily verify their tax arrears and make payments.
This approach aims to secure equity between diligent taxpayers and those in arrears, responding to delinquencies based on established principles.
Citizens have expressed support for this initiative, emphasizing the need for consistent standards for all taxpayers, regardless of nationality, and calling for adequate advance notice to ensure that foreign residents are not disadvantaged due to language issues.
Meanwhile, Mayor Shin Sang-jin emphasized that collection activities will be strengthened for habitual and high-value delinquents, regardless of whether they are domestic or foreign, to achieve tax justice.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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