Benchmarking Visits from Local Governments Such as Hanam City and Busanjin District Continue
Seocho District in Seoul (District Mayor Jeon Seongsoo) announced on April 18 that it ranked first among Seoul’s 25 districts by achieving a 95% collection rate for the regular property tax in July of last year. To achieve this high collection rate, the district has implemented a variety of customized taxpayer convenience services.
Officials from Hanam City Hall visited Seocho District Office to benchmark Seocho's taxpayer convenience policies. Photo by Seocho District Office.
Key initiatives include the "Nighttime Tax Administration Civil Service," which provides civil service support until 8 p.m. even after the 6 p.m. payment deadline; the "Imminent Payment Deadline SMS Notification Service," which sends virtual account payment details via text message before the due date; the "Property Tax Auto Calculator," which allows residents to calculate their tax amounts directly on the district’s website; and "Tax Payment Promotion Using Call Waiting Tones," which informs callers of tax payment schedules through administrative phone connections. These and other initiatives are currently being promoted.
These policies are credited with significantly improving taxpayer convenience, encouraging voluntary payments, and contributing greatly to fiscal soundness.
In particular, the "Tax Payment Promotion Using Call Waiting Tones" effectively delivers information on tax payment schedules to taxpayers who may not be aware of the deadlines by providing this information through call waiting tones when connecting to administrative phone lines. This approach not only reduces separate promotional expenses but also plays a major role in naturally raising tax awareness among all callers seeking administrative assistance.
Additionally, the district is offering smartphone-based education on how to check and pay taxes for senior citizens this year. This training, which provides easy-to-understand explanations and one-on-one practical instruction, is designed to help those unfamiliar with digital environments pay their taxes without having to visit payment agencies in person, and has received a very positive response.
The district has also produced QR code leaflets containing real estate official price and tax information, distributing them to local community centers and other locations to provide a platform for easy and rapid access to previously scattered information.
Other local governments, recognizing Seocho District’s advanced tax administration, have been visiting to benchmark these practices, and the district has been actively sharing its know-how. Recently, officials from Hanam City in Gyeonggi Province, Busanjin District in Busan, and several other local governments visited Seocho District to learn about its tax administration practices and to seek advice on implementing taxpayer convenience services.
In particular, there has been strong interest in the "Nighttime Tax Administration Civil Service" and the "Tax Payment Promotion Using Call Waiting Tones," with several local governments reportedly considering how to adapt these initiatives to their own circumstances.
District Mayor Jeon Seongsoo stated, "Seocho District was able to achieve the highest property tax collection rate in Seoul primarily thanks to the high tax awareness of our residents. We will continue to prioritize taxpayer convenience as we further develop our tax administration, and do our utmost to ensure that Seocho’s convenience initiatives become the standard throughout Korea."
Seocho District Real Estate Official Price Tax Information Integrated Inquiry Leaflet. Provided by Seocho District.
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