On June 12, 2024, Korea’s National Tax Service (NTS) held a launch ceremony for its Non-Tax Revenue Unified Collection Task Force at the Sejong Government Complex. This marks the official start of building a unified system to collect 284 trillion KRW in non-tax revenue, which includes fines for unfair trade, environmental regulation charges, and state property usage fees. Previously, over 300 laws allowed various government agencies to manage and collect these revenues separately, causing public inconvenience and inefficiency due to overlapping tasks. The task force’s launch follows the President’s directive in the 2026 NTS business report to swiftly implement unified management of non-tax revenue.
As of the end of 2024, Korea’s non-tax revenue stands at 284 trillion KRW, nearly matching the 337 trillion KRW in tax revenue and representing a vital fiscal resource. Notably, unpaid non-tax revenue has surged from 19 trillion KRW in 2020 to 25 trillion KRW in 2024. This increase is attributed to differing collection procedures, systems, and limited information sharing among agencies, making enforcement challenging. Advanced countries like the US and UK operate unified collection portals, and Korea has already seen positive results from unified collection of local non-tax revenue and social insurance premiums. The NTS expects the new system to enhance management of unpaid revenue, prevent fiscal leakage, and improve collection efficiency through integrated data analysis.
While the authority to impose non-tax revenue will remain with individual ministries, the NTS will centralize collection management to significantly improve payment convenience for citizens. The NTS plans to collaborate closely with related ministries, meticulously preparing systems and policies for a phased rollout of unified collection. Once the Ministry of Economy and Finance amends the National Bond Management Act, the NTS will assess the status of unpaid non-tax revenue and actively support the swift enactment of the Non-Tax Revenue Unified Collection Act. The agency will also request necessary personnel and budget at the time of bill proposal, and prepare IT systems and workflow designs to ensure smooth implementation.
NTS Commissioner Lim Kwang-hyun emphasized that unified collection is not merely an administrative merger but a move to responsibly manage national fiscal income, prevent revenue loss, and enhance public convenience. He urged the task force to pioneer this initiative and fully incorporate field feedback and public perspectives in building the new system. The NTS expects that the unified collection framework will strengthen fiscal stability and public convenience. For inquiries, contact the Non-Tax Revenue Unified Collection Task Force Planning Division at 02-760-9162.