Easily calculate the acquisition tax required when purchasing houses, commercial properties, or land in South Korea. Applies the latest 2026 tax rates, including multiple-home tax surcharges and rates for Speculative Overheated Districts.
Enter the actual transaction price stated in the sales contract. Acquisition tax is calculated based on the actual transaction price, and underreporting may result in additional penalties. For example, if you are purchasing a 500 million KRW apartment, enter exactly 500,000,000. You must enter the actual sale price, not the publicly assessed value.
Choose from residential (apartment, villa, detached house), commercial/officetel, or land. For residential properties, the tax rate varies depending on the number of homes owned, with surcharge rates applied for 3 or more homes. Commercial properties and land follow separate tax rate structures. Officetels are classified as residential if used for housing, or commercial if used for business purposes.
Accurately enter the number of homes currently owned. This includes homes owned by your spouse and minor children, as well as presale rights. Tax rates are 1-3% for 1 home, 1-3% for 2 homes, 8% for 3 homes, and 12% for 4+ homes. Miscalculating the number of homes may result in additional taxes, so please be careful.
Verify whether the area is designated as a government-specified Speculative Overheated District. As of 2024, all of Seoul and parts of the metropolitan area are designated as such. Purchasing 2 or more homes in these districts triggers surcharge rates that can more than double your acquisition tax. Check the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport website for the latest designations.
For a newlywed couple in their 30s purchasing their first apartment in Gangnam-gu, Seoul (600 million KRW), the acquisition tax is 600 million × 3% = 18 million KRW. Adding the local education tax (10% of acquisition tax) of 1.8 million KRW, the total burden is 19.8 million KRW. With the first-time buyer tax reduction (up to 2 million KRW), the actual burden is approximately 17.8 million KRW. Acquisition tax must be reported and paid within 60 days from the balance payment date.
If you already own 2 homes and purchase an additional apartment in Songpa-gu, Seoul (800 million KRW), the 3-home surcharge rate of 8% applies, resulting in acquisition tax of 64 million KRW + local education tax of 6.4 million KRW + special rural development tax of 12.8 million KRW = total of 83.2 million KRW. This is more than 3 times higher than for a single-home owner (26.4 million KRW), so you must consider the tax burden when acquiring multiple homes.
When purchasing a commercial building near Gangnam Station (1 billion KRW), the standard acquisition tax rate of 4.6% applies, resulting in acquisition tax of 46 million KRW + local education tax of 4.6 million KRW = total of 50.6 million KRW. Unlike residential properties, commercial properties are subject to the same tax rate regardless of the number owned, and are not subject to surcharges. Additionally, you must pay value-added tax (10%) separately.
Acquisition tax must be reported and paid within 60 days from the date of acquisition (typically the balance payment date) to the district or city office with jurisdiction over the property location. Online filing is available through Wetax (www.wetax.go.kr) or eTax (Seoul City), with a 3% tax credit for online filing. Failure to file within the deadline results in a 20% penalty, so you must meet the deadline.
All homes owned by you, your spouse, and minor children are combined. Presale rights and cooperative membership rights are also counted as homes, as are inherited homes. However, low-value provincial homes (publicly assessed value of 100 million KRW or less, outside the metropolitan area) are excluded from the count. For example, if you own 1 home and your spouse owns 1 home, purchasing another makes you a 3-home owner subject to surcharge rates.
First-time home buyers who are homeless heads of household can receive acquisition tax reductions. Homes priced at 150 million KRW or less receive full acquisition tax exemption, 150-300 million KRW receive 50% reduction, and 300-400 million KRW receive up to 2 million KRW reduction. However, both you and your spouse must be homeless, and you must meet household income criteria.
Speculative Overheated Districts are areas designated by the government where housing price increases are a concern. As of 2024, all of Seoul and parts of Gyeonggi Province (Bundang-gu in Seongnam, Gwacheon, etc.) are designated as such. Acquiring 2 or more homes in these districts triggers surcharge rates that significantly increase the tax burden. Check the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport website for the latest designations, which may change periodically.
Commercial properties and business-use officetels are subject to a 4.6% tax rate (4% acquisition tax + 0.2% special rural development tax + 0.4% local education tax). Residential officetels (exclusive area of 85㎡ or less, used for housing) are treated as residential and subject to residential tax rates. Commercial properties are subject to the same rate regardless of the number owned, and Speculative Overheated District status does not apply. However, value-added tax (10%) must be paid separately.
The special rural development tax is imposed when acquiring homes valued over 600 million KRW or with exclusive area exceeding 85㎡. The tax rate is 20% of the acquisition tax and applies to surcharge targets with 3 or more homes. For example, if you acquire an 800 million KRW apartment (100㎡) as your 3rd home, you pay acquisition tax of 64 million KRW × 20% = 12.8 million KRW in special rural development tax. Owners of 1-2 homes are not subject to this tax.
Exceeding the acquisition tax filing and payment deadline (60 days) results in penalties of up to 20%. Non-filing penalties (20%) and late payment penalties (0.025% per day, 9.125% annually) can be imposed cumulatively. For example, delaying payment of 20 million KRW in acquisition tax by 6 months results in non-filing penalty of 4 million KRW + late payment penalty of approximately 910,000 KRW = total additional burden of 4.91 million KRW. You must pay within the deadline.
This calculator is for reference purposes only, and actual acquisition tax may vary depending on individual circumstances (tax reductions, exemption requirements, local ordinances, etc.). For accurate tax amounts, please consult the tax department of the relevant local government or a tax accountant. Tax law amendments such as Speculative Overheated District designations/removals and tax rate changes should be checked regularly, and we assume no legal liability for the calculation results. Be sure to complete acquisition tax reporting and payment within the deadline.
Acquisition tax is a local tax paid when acquiring assets such as real estate, vehicles, and machinery. Real estate acquisition tax is calculated based on the actual transaction price and must be reported and paid to the local government within 60 days of the acquisition date (balance payment date). In addition to acquisition tax, local education tax (10% of acquisition tax) and special rural development tax (20% of acquisition tax) may also apply, so the actual tax burden is the sum of all three taxes.
Housing acquisition tax rates vary greatly depending on the number of homes owned and the price. Single-home owners are subject to progressive rates of 1-3% based on price (1% for up to 600M KRW, 1.33% for 600-900M KRW, 3% above 900M KRW). Two-home owners pay the same rate as single-home owners in non-regulated areas, but an 8% heavy tax rate applies in regulated areas. Three or more homes are taxed at 12% in regulated areas and 8% in non-regulated areas. Commercial properties, officetels, and land are taxed at flat rates of 4.6% and 4% respectively.
There are several ways to legally reduce acquisition tax. First-time homebuyers can receive full exemption (for properties under 150M KRW) or a reduction of up to 2M KRW. Filing online via Wetax provides a 3% tax credit. Multi-home owners can avoid heavy taxation by selling some properties before purchasing or timing purchases around the lifting of regulated area designations. Be sure to meet the 60-day reporting deadline to avoid penalty surcharges of up to 20%.