Korean Job Discussion Forums

[espo]

A friend of mine left Korea a few months ago, and went into the tax office at near Yongsan and brought her ARC and ticket home, and they gave her around 400,000 back in taxes....this was NOT the same money that she was given earlier in the year when everyone else was getting their tax money back.

Does anyone know anything about this? She said that many foreigners don't know that when they leave they should visit this office, so the money is just sitting there.

Any help is appreciated

[JustinC]

Was it taxes or pension?

[camaroclow]

Anyone? Im leaving in a month and a half and would like to know as well.

[dairyairy]

It is true or just some internet rumor?

[slasher]

Tax issues are depending on your nationality... native English teachers (except from ca and ir) are not supposed to pay taxes here if their stay did not exceed 2 years. This back payment may have been connected to it, if your friend wrongly paid the taxes.

Also, you get your pension back (usually 2x what you paid since the employer pays the same amount) if you are from one of the countries Korea has a bilateral agreement with (US is one of them). But that would be from the pension office, not tax office.

Edit: Apparently not completely true. The two year tax free exception has a lot of strings attached to it.

[Adventurer]

There was one year I never get the 180,000 won I was told we were to get because they kept sending it to a city I used to live in 2 years prior and had to leave. Can I get that? Anyway, I understand that the tax office does give you some money back every year based on how much you used your bank card. I would be more than happy to get 400,000 won, at any rate.

[dairyairy]