How is acquisition tax calculated in South Korea?

Acquisition tax (취득세) on an owner-occupier home is 1% up to ₩600 million, slides linearly from 1% to 3% between ₩600 million and ₩900 million, and is 3% above ₩900 million. The rate is applied to the acquisition price. Additional homes in regulated areas can attract heavy rates of 8% or 12% instead.

What surtaxes apply on top of acquisition tax?

Two surtaxes apply. The local education tax (지방교육세) is 10% of the acquisition tax, which works out to roughly 0.1%–0.3% of the price. The special rural development tax (농어촌특별세) of 0.2% of the price applies only to homes larger than 85㎡, the national housing size. The tool adds both where applicable.

When do the 8% and 12% heavy rates apply?

Heavy acquisition-tax rates target multiple-home ownership and speculation. Broadly, a second home in a regulated area can attract 8%, and a third or further home, or a corporate purchase, can attract 12%. The exact triggers depend on current regulation and the property's location, so the tool exposes these as selectable modes.

What is the 85㎡ threshold about?

85㎡ (about 25.7 pyeong) is South Korea's national housing size benchmark. Homes at or below 85㎡ are exempt from the 0.2% rural development surtax, while larger homes pay it. This is why the tool asks whether the home exceeds 85㎡.

Is this an exact tax figure?

No. It estimates the standard owner-occupier scale plus the common surtaxes. It does not model first-home relief, gift or inheritance acquisitions, non-residential rates, or the precise regulatory triggers for heavy rates. Notary and registration fees are extra. Confirm with a licensed scrivener or tax office.

South Korea Stamp Duty / Transfer Tax Calculator

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A South Korea stamp duty calculator — really the property acquisition tax (취득세) calculator — that estimates the up-front taxes on a home purchase: the 1–3% sliding scale, the 8%/12% heavy rates for additional homes, and the local education and rural development surtaxes.

How it works

Acquisition tax on an owner-occupier home follows a sliding scale on the price:

≤ ₩600,000,000 → 1%
₩600,000,000–₩900,000,000 → linear 1%–3% (rate rises with price)
> ₩900,000,000 → 3%

For additional homes in regulated areas, heavy rates of 8% or 12% replace the scale.

Two surtaxes are then added:

Local education tax (지방교육세) = 10% of the acquisition tax (about 0.1%–0.3% of price).
Rural development tax (농어촌특별세) = 0.2% of price, only for homes over 85㎡.

Example and notes

Buy a ₩700,000,000 home of 80㎡ as a single-home buyer. The price sits in the sliding band, so the acquisition rate is roughly 1.1%, the local education surtax adds 10% of that, and there is no rural development tax because the home is under 85㎡. The tool shows each component and the effective total rate.

This is an estimate of the standard scale plus common surtaxes. First-home relief, heavy-rate triggers and non-residential rates vary with regulation, and registration fees are extra. All figures are calculated locally in your browser.