Korean Job Discussion Forums

[ekimswish]

So, lately the national health insurance informed (public?) schools that they're considering our provided housing as taxable. It's only 2.5% on an extra 400~500k per month, so I'd have no problem with that.

My problem is they want to back-tax all the way to whenever you started working for them, in my case two years, which is going to come out to like 500k plus/minus, maybe in one month's salary.

I've heard from one person that it's a new policy. I've heard from another that it was always that case, just no one knew it.

It may or may not come out in one month's salary or gradually, I don't know yet. But I only have two more paydays, and then I'm moving with my wife and kids to start a new life and run a business elsewhere. Money's tight during a move, and 500k makes me very stressed and angry.

My question is, why can they go back like that? Where does it stop? Can they now go back all the way to 1998 and call up all the people who've ever worked in Korea, maybe now back in their home country, and say you owe us $1000? If this is a new policy, then they shouldn't be able to go back. If it's an old one that no one knew about, where do they just stop and take a loss?

My other problem is why aren't income tax and pension including your housing as taxable income? If that were the case, my pension would be A LOT higher (yes, I get a lump sum refund). So how does one government agency get away with interpreting your taxable income differently than all the rest?

I know, I know... someone's going to reply to this, call me a "princess" and say I should suck it up and be glad I live in Korea because I'm a bum who couldn't get work back home. Congratulations, you've figured it out. But is anyone else a little bit peeved about this?

[tired of LA]

[ekimswish]