Gyeonggi Province Selects Conscientious Taxpayers, Provides Benefits Including Health Checkup Discounts and Preferential Interest Rates

[Suwon Ilbo=Park No-hun Reporter] Gyeonggi Province announced on the 23rd that it has selected 228,696 conscientious taxpayers with no history of local tax delinquency and who have contributed to local finances, and will provide them with various benefits including health checkup discounts.

Among the conscientious taxpayers, 441 individuals with contributions such as community development have been selected as meritorious taxpayers, a designation newly established this year.

The province improved the system to expand the atmosphere of conscientious tax payment so that more conscientious taxpayers could be selected.

The existing system involved separately selecting excellent taxpayers from those meeting certain conditions and designating them as conscientious taxpayers.

The province has changed this to designate all taxpayers meeting certain conditions as conscientious taxpayers, and then separately select financial contributors among them to certify as meritorious taxpayers while strengthening benefits.

Accordingly, 228,696 taxpayers with no history of local tax delinquency and who have made four or more payments annually over the past seven years or more were selected as conscientious taxpayers this year. This comprises 216,336 individuals and 12,360 corporations.

Meritorious taxpayers are conscientious taxpayers judged to have made contributions to the local tax sector due to reasons such as contribution to local finances, job creation and profit-sharing system certification, and contributions to the community. Through recommendations from cities and counties and deliberation by the Local Tax Deliberation Committee on the 12th, a total of 441 individuals, including 249 individuals and 192 corporations, were selected.

Among the selected meritorious taxpayers, Mr. A from Hwaseong was recognized for his dedication in conscientiously paying local taxes while serving as a village chief and voluntary fire brigade captain, and particularly for his commitment in resolving community grievances, volunteer activities, and disaster response.

Company B, a manufacturing business in Siheung, was selected as a meritorious taxpayer for its efforts in community volunteer activities including conscientious local tax payment, scholarship support to universities in the province, and monthly assistance to elderly living alone through in-house volunteer clubs. It was also recognized for its efforts in job creation, including employment without non-regular positions and a 50% increase in tenured employees over the past 10 years.

Conscientious taxpayers in Gyeonggi Province are provided with 10-30% discounts on comprehensive health checkups at six hospitals including Ajou University Hospital, and preferential deposit and loan interest rates (0.1-0.3%) at provincial depository banks (Nonghyup and Kookmin Bank).

Meritorious taxpayers are additionally provided with presentation of certification (certificate and plaque), exemption from local tax audits for three years, and discounts on public parking fees in 31 cities and counties.

The certification period is one year from July 1, 2021 to June 30, 2022. Next month, a certification document confirming conscientious taxpayer status along with guidance on various support benefits will be sent. From July, certification inquiry and details on various benefits can also be confirmed through the Gyeonggi Province website (www.gg.go.kr).

Cho Choo-dong, Head of the Tax Administration Division, said, "If we create an environment where those contributing to regional development through conscientious tax payment are further favored, we expect to enhance voluntary tax compliance awareness," and added, "We will make efforts to further expand support for conscientious taxpayers."