Korea Acquisition Tax Calculator 2026

What taxes are included when buying a Korean apartment?

Three separate taxes are applied simultaneously when you acquire residential property in Korea: the base Acquisition Tax (취득세), the Local Education Tax (지방교육세), and the Agricultural Special Tax (농어촌특별세). The base rate varies by property value and ownership count. Local Education Tax is typically 10% of the base acquisition tax rate. Agricultural Special Tax is an additional surcharge applied only when the base rate exceeds the standard 2% threshold.

For a first home under ₩600 million, your total effective rate is approximately 1.1% — one of the lowest in the OECD. But for a third home in a regulated area like Seoul, the combined rate jumps to 13.4%, which on a ₩1 billion apartment equals ₩134 million in tax alone.

How is the rate different for multi-homeowners?

Korea's multi-homeowner surcharge is one of the most aggressive in Asia. In regulated areas (투기과열지구 — Speculative Overheated Districts, which includes all of Seoul), a second home triggers an 8% base rate, and a third home triggers 12%. These surcharges were introduced to discourage speculative "gap investment" (갭투자) where buyers used jeonse deposits to leverage additional purchases.

In non-regulated areas, the surcharges are lower: 1-3% for a second home, and 8% for a third+ home. This difference explains why many investors have shifted to non-metropolitan cities where regulations are less punitive. Our calculator automatically applies the correct rate based on your selected area type.

When must the tax be paid?

You must file and pay the acquisition tax within 60 days of the ownership transfer date (등기접수일). If you miss this deadline, a 20% penalty surcharge is applied immediately, followed by a daily interest penalty of approximately 0.022% for each additional day. Your Beopmusa (법무사 — judicial scrivener) typically handles the filing as part of the title transfer process, but it is your responsibility to ensure the funds are available on time.