Tax settlement on departure

Leaving Korea without settling your tax means leaving refund money behind.

Before departure

1. Ask your company for a "pre-departure year-end settlement." It can be done early at the point of leaving employment or the country.
2. Confirm the account for the refund. Don't close your bank account — money may arrive later.
3. Check for unpaid tax on Hometax or with 126.
4. Obtain income and tax payment certificates and keep them. You may need them later.
5. Leave contact details reachable from your home country with your company and the tax office.

Settle these too

• Severance pay — see severance-pay.
• National pension lump-sum refund — 1355. See pension-lump-sum-refund.
• Health insurance settlement — 1577-1000. See nhis-refund-departure.
• Departure guarantee and return cost insurance (EPS workers) — see eps-return-support.
• Outstanding wages — see unpaid-wages.

Where to go

• 126 National Tax Service call centre
• Hometax www.hometax.go.kr
• Your local tax office
• Your company's payroll staff
• 1577-1366 interpretation

Questions people ask

Can I still get a refund after leaving? Sometimes, if the account remains open and the process goes through. But settling before departure is far more reliable.

Should I close my bank account? Keep it open — refunds, severance and insurance may be paid in. But manage it carefully. Never lend it to anyone.

Can unpaid tax prevent departure? It depends on the amount and case. Check with 126 and your tax office in advance and clear it.

My company won't do the settlement. Consult 126, and if there are wage issues too, file with 1350.

Take care

Starting a few days before departure is too late. Year-end settlement, severance, pension and insurance each take time at different bodies. Make a list a month before departure and work through it one by one. Checking with 1577-1366 interpretation speeds it up.

Related

year-end-tax-settlement · income-tax-basics · pension-lump-sum-refund · eps-return-support · tax-clearance-departure

Source

National Tax Service www.nts.go.kr / As of 2026-08