2026 Tax & Four Major Insurances Rate Reference
National pension, health insurance, employment insurance and industrial accident insurance rates, plus the income-tax bracket table and VAT — all key 2026 figures on one reference page. For quick lookup only.
Four Major Insurances (2026)
| Category | Employee | Employer | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| National Pension1 | % | % | % |
| Health Insurance | % | % | % |
| Long-term Care2 | % (of health premium) | % (of health premium) | - |
| Employment Ins. (unemployment)3 | % | % | % |
| Industrial Accident (avg.)4 | 0% | % | % |
1) National pension base monthly income floor KRW, cap KRW (from 2026.7).
2) Long-term care premium = each party's own health-insurance premium × the rate above.
3) Employment insurance shown is the unemployment-benefit portion only; employers additionally pay for job-stability/skills-development programs.
4) Industrial accident insurance is paid entirely by the employer and varies by industry; the figure above is an industry average.
Comprehensive Income Tax Brackets (2026)
| Tax base | Rate | Progressive deduction |
|---|
Calculated tax = tax base × rate − progressive deduction. Local income tax adds % of the calculated tax.
Other Key Figures (2026)
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| VAT general rate | % |
| Freelancer withholding | % |
| Tax-free meal allowance (monthly) | KRW |
| Personal deduction (per person, annual) | KRW |
| Labor income deduction cap (annual) | KRW |
When these figures change, and where to verify them
Each figure here changes on its own schedule — some in January, some in July, and tax rates only when the law is amended. The authoritative source differs by item too.
When each figure changes
- The minimum wage is announced by 5 August and applies from 1 January, so next year's figure is settled the previous summer.
- Social insurance rates generally change in January, though the pension contribution base limits shift in July, creating a mid-year step.
- Health and long-term care rates are set annually by the health insurance policy committee for the following January.
- Income tax and VAT rates require legislation and change rarely, usually passing late in the year to apply from the next tax year.
- The base rate is decided eight times a year by the Bank of Korea with no fixed calendar — the one figure needing regular checking.
Where the primary sources are
For rates and deductions the statutory text on the national law information centre is the most reliable; tax office guides are summaries that may omit exceptions.
The minimum wage comes from the ministry's official notice, social insurance rates from each agency's site, and the base rate from the Bank of Korea alongside its decision statement.
Local taxes have statutory standard rates, but municipalities may vary them within limits by ordinance — so items such as the urban surcharge or vehicle tax reductions need checking locally.
How these figures are maintained
Policy figures on this site are kept in a single file rather than repeated per calculator, so that an amendment cannot leave some pages stale while others update.
Each entry records its source and when it was verified, distinguishing values confirmed against statute, values that change quarterly and are left adjustable, and values not yet checked against a primary source.
Even so, detailed exceptions and local variations are out of scope. Treat these figures as a starting point and confirm actual filings through the official channels or a professional.
Legal basis
- Statutory text — Korea Law Information Center (law.go.kr)
- National taxes — Hometax (hometax.go.kr)
- Local taxes — Wetax (wetax.go.kr)
- Minimum wage — Ministry of Employment and Labor; social insurance — the respective agencies
- Base rate — Bank of Korea (bok.or.kr)