Tax revenue falls through May as corporate levies decline

The Ministry of Economy and Finance's its headquarters in the central city of Sejong [YONHAP]

Korea's tax revenue fell 9.1 trillion won ($6.6 billion) during the first five months of 2024, due mainly to reduced earnings from corporate taxes, data showed Friday.

The government collected 151 trillion won in taxes over the January-May period, down 5.7 percent from 160.2 trillion won tallied a year earlier, according to the Ministry of Economy and Finance.

The decline was due mainly to the fall in corporate taxes collected.

The collection of corporate taxes sank 35.1 percent on-year, or 15.3 trillion won, to 28.3 trillion won during the five-month period.

Operating profits of companies listed on the main bourse nose-dived 45 percent on-year in 2023, according to government data. Those listed on the tech-heavy Kosdaq market also saw their earnings sink 39.8 percent over the period.

The amount of income tax collected, however, increased 0.7 percent on-year to 51.5 trillion won due to higher wages and the rise in the number of employed people.

The data also showed the amount of value-added tax rose 16.1 percent to 38.8 trillion won on the back of improved consumption. Import duties, however, fell 8.4 percent to 2.7 trillion won due to a decrease in imports.

Korea's imports over the first five months of 2024 came to US$262.6 billion, down from $280.2 billion tallied a year earlier.

In May alone, the country's total tax revenue came to 25.5 trillion won, down from 26.2 trillion won tallied a year earlier.

Last year, the country's total revenue fell 77 trillion won on-year to 497 trillion won, as tax collections dropped due to poor corporate performance and the property market slump.

BY PARK EUN-JEE, YONHAP [park.eunjee@joongang.co.kr]