Buan County Launches KakaoTalk Channel for Local Tax Refunds

1,856 Unclaimed Refunds Totaling 27 Million Won

Buan County in North Jeolla Province has launched and is operating a KakaoTalk channel dedicated to "Buan County Local Tax Refunds."

Exterior view of Buan County Office. Provided by Buan County

According to the county on December 16, the channel was established to make it easier for residents to claim their local tax refunds.

To apply for a refund, residents can search for "Buan County Local Tax Refunds" in the KakaoTalk search bar or scan the QR code on the refund notice to access the channel. From there, they simply need to enter the required information as guided to easily apply for their local tax refund.

Currently, there are 1,856 unclaimed local tax refund cases in the county, totaling approximately 27 million won. These refunds mainly arise from reasons such as ownership transfers and vehicle scrapping after annual prepayment of automobile tax, reductions in local income tax due to national tax adjustments, mistaken payments, and amendments to relevant laws.

In particular, small refunds of less than 10,000 won are often neglected due to a lack of interest from taxpayers and the inconvenience of the application process. However, if a local tax refund is not claimed within five years, the right to claim expires and the money is forfeited to the national treasury, making it impossible to recover.

Heo Misoon, Director of the Finance Division, stated, "Just as fulfilling the duty to pay taxes is important, so is the right to reclaim overpaid taxes," adding, "We will continue to enhance guidance and accessibility so that all residents can easily check whether they are eligible for a refund."