Tax Guide for Foreign Investors & FDI Company Representatives

Clear guidance on setting up a Korean company, ongoing filing duties, and the current status of tax incentives.

Bold investing deserves precise filing.

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First, the Reality: No New Tax Reductions Since 2019

Corporate tax and other tax reductions for foreign-invested companies were abolished for any new reduction applications filed on or after January 1, 2019. Only companies that applied for a reduction by December 31, 2018 can still receive it. If you're setting up a new company, it's more realistic to look into cash grants and other forms of support instead of tax reductions.

How Incorporation Works

Foreign investment notification under the Foreign Investment Promotion Act (Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, KOTRA, or a foreign exchange bank)
Company incorporation registration (under the Commercial Act)
Corporate establishment report and business registration at the tax office
Alien registration or domestic residence report for the CEO (D-8, etc.)
Hometax sign-up and setting up e-tax invoice issuance

Ongoing Filing Duties

Corporate tax filing (within 3 months of the fiscal year-end)
Value-added tax filing (quarterly)
Transfer pricing documentation for transactions with related parties abroad (arm's-length principle)
Reporting related-party transaction details under the International Tax Adjustment Act
Separate personal filing for the CEO's own wage income (year-end settlement or comprehensive income tax)

Tax Advantages for Foreign Investors & Reps

Look into cash grants and other support instead of tax reductions

There are no new tax reductions since 2019, but depending on your industry and investment size, you may still qualify for cash grants or other separate support programs — worth checking in advance.

Optimize the CEO's personal income tax separately from the company

The CEO's own wage income can be reviewed separately from the company's corporate tax, checking whether it qualifies for the 19% flat-tax option or the engineer tax reduction to choose the best approach.

Having transfer pricing documentation ready lowers audit risk

Documenting the terms and pricing basis of transactions with your parent company from the start greatly reduces the burden of proof if a tax audit happens later.

The Most Common Mistake We See

Some clients rely on outdated information and expect a corporate tax reduction, only to find out too late that it was abolished after 2019. Others trade with their parent company without transfer pricing documentation and then struggle to explain themselves during a tax audit.

Frequently Asked Questions

From Incorporation to Filing, We'll Guide You Precisely

Prepare your FDI company's setup and ongoing tax matters together with tax accountant Kwon Ji-hyun

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