Home Acquisition Tax Calculator

Korean home acquisition tax, local education tax and rural special tax from the price, number of homes, regulated-area status, floor area and reliefs

2026 rules

The home you are buying

Purchase price (KRW)

For a purchase, the tax base is the actual price paid (the reported transaction price).

Homes the household owns after this purchase

Count this home too. Pre-sale rights, redevelopment membership rights and officetels taxed as homes also count (Local Tax Act Art. 13-3).

The home is in a regulated area Designated by Korea's land ministry and changed from time to time; check the notice in force on your acquisition date. Temporary 2 homes (you will sell the old one in time) If you buy for a move, study or job and sell the old home within 3 years (2 years if both are in regulated areas), the one-home rates apply. If you don't, the surcharge is collected later. Exclusive floor area over 85㎡ Homes of 85㎡ or less (national housing size) are exempt from the rural special tax.

Relief

Relief to apply (one)

First-time buyer: neither you nor your spouse has ever owned a home, you will live in it, and the price is 1.2B KRW or less (until 31 Dec 2028). Small home = 60㎡ or less and 300M KRW (600M in the capital region) or less, multi-unit housing other than apartments, urban-lifestyle housing or a registered unit of a multi-household house. Birth relief: parents of a child born by the end of 2028 who buy one household home of 1.2B KRW or less from 1 year before to 5 years after the birth. Selling, gifting or renting it out within 3 years triggers clawback. Minors cannot get first-time relief, and joint buyers share one relief limit.

Change the rates 2026 rules

Standard rates (one home etc.)

Lower band up to (KRW)

Top band above (KRW)

Lower band rate (%)

Top band rate (%)

Middle-band rate decimals

Multi-home surcharge

Standard rate (%)

Surcharge base rate (%)

Surcharge A multiple

Surcharge B multiple

Regulated: homes for A

Regulated: homes for B

Other areas: homes for A

Other areas: homes for B

Education tax and rural special tax

Education: share of the rate (%)

Education tax rate (%)

Rural tax: base rate (%)

Rural tax rate (%)

Rural tax on relief (%)

Also reduce the education tax by the relief's share (lower estimate) Local Tax Act Art. 151(1)1(c) reduces the education tax only when the relief law sets a relief rate. First-time and birth reliefs are fixed-amount deductions, so by default it is not reduced (no official ruling confirmed).

Relief limits and rounding

Relief price cap (KRW)

First-time limit (KRW)

First-time small-home limit (KRW)

Birth relief limit (KRW)

Round down to (KRW)

Defaults are Korean law in force as of October 2026: Local Tax Act Art. 11(1)8 (1% up to 600M KRW; above 600M up to 900M, (price × 2/300M − 3) ÷ 100 rounded to four decimals; 3% above 900M), Art. 13-2 (surcharge: 4% + 2% surcharge base × 200% = 8%, × 400% = 12%), Art. 151(1)1 (education tax), Special Tax for Rural Development Act Art. 5(1)1 and 6 and Art. 4 (exempt at 85㎡ or less), Restriction of Special Local Taxation Act Arts. 36-3 and 36-5 (amended 31 Dec 2025, until 31 Dec 2028). Regulated areas and relief limits change with amendments. An August 2026 reform plan would raise the first-time limit to 3M KRW for young buyers; it has not passed, so it is not applied.

Total to pay (acquisition + education + rural tax)

0KRW

Acquisition tax rate-

Acquisition tax0

Education tax0

Rural special tax0

Breakdown
Acquisition tax (computed)	0
Relief	0
Acquisition tax payable	0
Local education tax	0
Education tax reduced	0
Rural special tax	0
Rural tax on the relief	0
Total	0

Filing: file and pay within 60 days of the acquisition date (the earlier of the final payment and registration) to the city/county/district where the home is (Local Tax Act Art. 20).

A reference estimate under Korea's Local Tax Act and related laws, not tax advice. Confirm the real amount with the city/county/district office where the home is, or on Korea's local tax portal (wetax.go.kr). Only individual home purchases are covered. Not covered: corporations, gifts, inheritance, new builds, officetels, pre-sale or membership rights, homes excluded from the surcharge (e.g. standard value 100M KRW or less, 200M outside the capital region), luxury homes, local rate adjustments and relief clawback. Each tax is rounded down to 10 KRW (Framework Act on Local Taxes Art. 59). law.go.kr

What this tool does

Estimates the acquisition tax you pay when buying a home in Korea, plus the local education tax and rural special tax that come with it, under the 2026 rules. Enter the price, how many homes your household will own, whether the home is in a regulated area, temporary-2-homes status, floor area over 85㎡ and any first-time or birth relief; you get each tax, the total and the effective rate. Every rate, band and limit can be changed under 'Change the rates'.

How it is calculated

The standard rate follows Korea's Local Tax Act Art. 11(1)8: 1% up to 600M KRW, 3% above 900M KRW, and in between (price × 2/300M − 3) ÷ 100 rounded at the fifth decimal to four decimals (700M KRW → 0.0167 = 1.67%). The multi-home surcharge (Art. 13-2) is 8% for 2 homes in a regulated area or 3 elsewhere, and 12% for 3+ homes in a regulated area or 4+ elsewhere; temporary 2 homes keep the standard rate. Local education tax is rate × 50% × 20% (0.1–0.3%) at standard rates and (4% − 2%) × 20% = 0.4% under the surcharge. The rural special tax applies only above 85㎡: 0.2% at standard rates, 0.6% at 8%, 1.0% at 12%, plus 20% of any relieved acquisition tax. First-time relief takes up to 2M KRW (3M for small homes or depopulating areas) off the computed tax; birth relief up to 5M KRW. Each tax is rounded down to 10 KRW. The page opens with an example: 700M KRW, one home, 85㎡ or less → acquisition tax 11,690,000 + education tax 1,169,000 = 12,859,000 KRW (effective 1.837%).

Enter the purchase price (the reported transaction price is the tax base for a purchase)

Pick how many homes the household owns including this one (pre-sale rights, membership rights and officetels taxed as homes count)

Tick regulated area if it applies; with 2 homes, tick temporary 2 homes if you will sell the old one within 3 years (2 if both are in regulated areas)

Tick over 85㎡ if it applies — that adds the rural special tax

Choose first-time or birth relief if you qualify

Example: 700M KRW over 85㎡ adds 1,400,000 KRW of rural tax for 14,259,000 KRW; the same 700M KRW home (85㎡ or less) as a second home in a regulated area costs 56,000,000 + 2,800,000 = 58,800,000 KRW

Things to know

There is no cliff just above 600M KRW. Between 600M and 900M the rate rises in a straight line from 1% to 3%, so 600,000,001 KRW is still 1.00%.

The home count includes the home being bought. Homes with a standard value of 100M KRW or less (200M outside the capital region) and other cases in Enforcement Decree Art. 28-2 can be excluded from the surcharge; this calculator does not model those exceptions.

First-time relief is clawed back if you sell, gift or rent out the home within 3 years (amended 31 Dec 2025). Birth relief has the same 3-year rule.

We could not confirm an official ruling on whether the education tax is reduced. Local Tax Act Art. 151(1)1(c) reduces it only when the relief law sets a relief rate; first-time and birth reliefs are fixed-amount deductions, so on a plain reading the education tax stays unreduced. The default therefore leaves it unreduced (the higher estimate); switch the option on under 'Change the rates' to see the lower, proportionally reduced figure.

Regulated areas are designated and lifted by Korea's land ministry from time to time, and a transitional rule looks at the contract date (Art. 13-2(4)). Check the notice in force when you sign.

Frequently asked questions

How much is the tax on a 700M KRW first home?

With one home of 85㎡ or less, the rate is (7 × 2/3 − 3)% to four decimals = 1.67%: acquisition tax 11,690,000, education tax 1,169,000, total 12,859,000 KRW. With first-time relief (up to 2M KRW) the acquisition tax drops to 9,690,000, for 10,859,000 KRW. Whether the education tax also falls with a fixed-amount relief is not officially confirmed, so the default leaves it unreduced; the option under 'Change the rates' shows the lower figure (education tax 969,000, total 10,659,000 KRW). This is a reference estimate under Korean law; confirm on WETAX or with the local office.

When is the rural special tax charged?

Only for homes over 85㎡ of exclusive floor area. It is 0.2% of the price at standard rates, 0.6% under the 8% surcharge and 1.0% under the 12% surcharge. If you get acquisition tax relief on a home over 85㎡, 20% of the relieved amount is added as rural tax.

How does temporary 2 homes work?

If a one-home household buys a new home for a move, study, job or similar reason and sells the old one within the period, the new home gets the one-home rate. The period is 3 years, or 2 years if both homes are in regulated areas (Enforcement Decree Art. 28-5, amended 30 Sep 2026). If the old home is not sold in time, the difference from the surcharge rate is collected.

When is the first-time limit 3M KRW?

For homes of 60㎡ or less priced at 300M KRW or less (600M in the capital region) that are multi-unit housing other than apartments, urban-lifestyle housing or a registered unit of a multi-household house, or for any home in a designated depopulating area. Other homes up to 1.2B KRW get 2M KRW (Restriction of Special Local Taxation Act Art. 36-3, until 31 Dec 2028).

Does it cover officetels, pre-sale rights or gifted homes?

No. It covers only individuals buying a home. Officetels (4%), pre-sale and membership rights, gifts, inheritance, corporate purchases and new builds use different rates or tax bases and are not modelled.