Why the notice never arrived — a postponed address change after a March move

Mr. Lee did not receive this year's earned income tax credit application notice. The cause was a change-of-address report he had put off after moving to a new studio apartment in March. Mail sent by the National Tax Service was delivered to his old address and returned as-is. Lee, whose monthly income fluctuates with the number of motorcycle delivery calls he gets, concluded on his own that he was never eligible in the first place when the notice failed to arrive.

What changed his mind was a cup of coffee with a fellow driver last week. Only after hearing that a colleague with similar earnings had already applied for the credit through the mobile app Hometax and was awaiting review did Lee realize that the absence of a notice does not mean he cannot apply. That is why, that night, he logged into the app and tapped the 'Earned Income Tax Credit Regular/Semi-Annual Application' item under the 'Tax Credit, Year-End Settlement, Electronic Donations' menu.

Income and asset criteria — jeonse deposits count toward assets

The conditions shown on the screen were more specific than Lee had expected. For the 2025 tax year, single-person households must have annual gross income below 22 million won, single-earner households below 32 million won, and dual-earner households below 44 million won to qualify.

The asset criteria followed. The total assets of all household members must not exceed 240 million won as of June 1, 2025, and if assets are 170 million won or more, only half of the calculated amount is paid. Only after reading that jeonse (long-term deposit lease) deposits are included in assets did Lee learn for the first time that even without owning a home, the payout could be reduced depending on the size of his deposit.

Post-deadline application until December 1… payout is 95%, takes about 4 months

The regular application period from May 1 to June 1 had already passed, but at the bottom of the screen was a notice for post-deadline applications running from June 2 to December 1. However, unlike regular applications, only 95% of the calculated amount is paid—a 5% reduction—and it typically takes about four months from receipt to payment.

Maximum payouts by household type are 1.65 million won for single-person households, 2.85 million won for single-earner households, and 3.3 million won for dual-earner households. Families with children under 18 receive an additional child credit of 500,000 won to a maximum of 1 million won per child.

Review status and consultation channels after applying

Lee said he felt relieved only after learning that he could check the stages—receipt complete, under review, payment scheduled—through the review status menu on Hometax or the mobile app. Even without receiving a notice, applicants can file directly through the direct-entry application menu, and those unsure about eligibility can contact the Tax Credit Consultation Center (1566-3636) or the National Tax Consultation Center (126).

Every year, cases recur of people misunderstanding that they missed the application period because they did not receive a notice due to a move, address change, or contact information change. Although time remains until the post-deadline application closes on December 1, the later the filing, the longer the review and payment may take, so if there is even slight doubt about eligibility, it is better to check without delay.

Three easily missed checkpoints

1. Whether total household assets, including jeonse deposits, exceed 240 million won 2. Whether you or your spouse also have business income, excluding you from semi-annual application eligibility 3. That the application window closes completely after the December 1 deadline

[The income and asset criteria, payout amounts, and application periods for the earned income tax credit and child credit described in this article are subject to change based on National Tax Service review and system revisions. Individual eligibility and exact payout amounts should be confirmed through Hometax, the mobile app, or official National Tax Service guidance. This article was partially assisted by AI.]