Missed the May Filing for the Earned Income Tax Credit? You Can Still Apply Late Until November 30 -- Only 95% Is Paid, and Property of KRW 240 Million Disqualifies You
If you missed the May regular filing window for Korea's Earned Income Tax Credit, it is not over yet. After the regular deadline you can still claim through a late application, but only 95% of the determined amount is paid. Based on National Tax Service guidance, this article sets out how many days remain this year, who qualifies, and what a 5% cut actually costs.
A late application is still open after the regular window
The 2026 regular filing ran from May 1 to June 1. A late application can be made within six months after the regular deadline. The National Tax Service call-center Q&A gives the late-application period as June 2 to November 30, 2026, while the NTS press release carried by the government policy briefing in April says December 1. The two differ by one day, so do not wait for the last day: treat Monday, November 30 as the deadline and file before then.
Receiving 95% means a specific amount is lost
A late application reduces the determined credit by 5%. Applied to the maximum amounts, KRW 1.65 million for a single household becomes KRW 1,567,500, KRW 2.85 million for a single-earner household becomes KRW 2,707,500, and KRW 3.3 million for a dual-earner household becomes KRW 3,135,000. The amounts lost are KRW 82,500, KRW 142,500 and KRW 165,000 respectively. These figures assume the maximum credit; the actual amount depends on income. Giving up means losing the whole amount, so a 5% cut is a far smaller loss than not applying.
Income is counted per couple, with a different ceiling for each household type
The credit requires combined annual gross income of the couple to be under the limit. For income earned in 2025, the ceilings are under KRW 22 million for a single household, under KRW 32 million for a single-earner household, and under KRW 44 million for a dual-earner household. The child credit pays between KRW 500,000 and KRW 1 million per child. Household type depends on whether you have a spouse or dependent children and whether the spouse has income, so if you are unsure, check the notice you received from the tax office or the simulator on Hometax first.
Property of KRW 240 million rules you out, and KRW 170 million halves the credit
Even if your income is within the limit, you cannot receive the credit if the household's total property is KRW 240 million or more. If property is at least KRW 170 million but under KRW 240 million, only 50% of the calculated amount is paid. The reference date is June 1, so selling a home or car afterward does not change the result; the property on that date is what counts. Property includes housing, land, deposits and vehicles, and it is totaled for the whole household, not only the couple, so check whether you are grouped with your parents. The structure resembles the rule for health insurance dependent status, where property also changes the threshold, but the numbers are different, so do not mix them up.
You can apply through Hometax, the Sontax app, the ARS line or a tax office
Applications are accepted through the National Tax Service's Hometax website, the Sontax mobile app, the automated phone line (ARS) at 1544-9944, or on paper at your local tax office. The ARS line requires the individual authentication number printed on your notice. If you are unsure how to apply, the credit counseling center at 1566-3636 takes calls on weekdays from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. If you already filed in the regular window and your claim is under review, you do not need to file a late application. After filing, check your application record on Hometax and wait for the tax office's notice of the decision and payment date.
The September half-year application is a separate scheme
People with earned income can also claim in advance during the year in which the income is earned. For tax year 2026, the first-half application ran from September 1 to 15 and pays 35% of the annual amount in December. The second-half application runs from March 1 to 15, 2027, and the balance is paid in June. The late application discussed here concerns the credit for income earned in 2025, so the target year is different. Even if you filed the half-year application, you must apply separately if you missed the credit for 2025.
Other items to check if you are collecting tax benefits
The credit is not a tax refund but support for lower-income households, so you receive it separately from year-end tax settlement deductions. If you pay monthly rent, check the monthly rent tax credit; if you use cards, check the credit card income deduction. Reviewing both now lets you settle everything at year end. If you also contribute to a private pension, see the pension savings and IRP tax credit.
Summary of the steps
Step 1, confirm whether you filed in the regular window. Check Hometax or your notice; if you did not, go to the next step.
Step 2, check the income ceiling for your household type and the KRW 240 million property limit. The Hometax simulator is convenient.
Step 3, file before Monday, November 30. You must accept the 95% payout.
This article is general information based on National Tax Service guidance. Income and property criteria and any reduction vary by individual circumstances, and the tax office's decision is final. Confirm exact amounts with the National Tax Service at 126 or the credit counseling center at 1566-3636.
All content is fact-checked under our editorial standards.