Korea's National Tax Service launches preparatory work for virtual asset taxation, targeting implementation in January of next year

the Korea National Tax Service has initiated preparatory work for virtual asset taxation, with the goal of formal implementation in January 2027 and preparation for comprehensive income tax filings in May 2028. According to the current Income Tax Act, income from the transfer and leasing of virtual assets will be classified as "other income," subject to a 22% tax rate on the portion exceeding an annual gain of 2.5 million Korean won, which is expected to affect approximately 13.26 million individuals.The Korea National Tax Service plans to begin collecting data from exchanges such as Upbit, Bithumb, Coinone, Korbit, and Gopax starting next year, to improve the taxation infrastructure and promote the launch of a comprehensive virtual asset analysis system within the year. However, controversies surrounding taxation standards and the risk of capital flight persist. (Edaily)