How I Discovered the Earned Income Tax Credit for Low-Income Workers in Korea – My Honest Story

 Hello everyone,

I’m a man in my 60s, currently transitioning from full-time work to a simpler lifestyle. Today, I’d like to share a personal experience that could really help others in a similar situation — my first time applying for Korea’s Earned Income Tax Credit (근로장려금).

If you're not familiar with it, it's a tax refund program from the Korean government that provides financial assistance to working individuals or families with low income. I wish I had known about it earlier, and I hope this blog post helps someone out there to apply and benefit from it.

🙏 How I Found Out About It

To be honest, I stumbled upon this by chance. I was talking with an old coworker over coffee when he mentioned how he received some money from the government under this program. At first, I thought, “That’s probably for people younger than me or with children.”
But he told me, “You’re working part-time, right? You might qualify too.”

That made me curious enough to go online and look it up. I visited the National Tax Service website and found detailed information. It turns out, I had no idea how close I was to being eligible.

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🙏 My Situation

Here’s what applied in my case:

• I’m single and living alone — that made me a “single household”

• My annual income was below 22 million KRW

• I own a small countryside house and a modest savings account, so my total assets were below 240 million KRW

Surprisingly, I checked all the boxes.

🙏 Application Process: Easier Than Expected

I was expecting paperwork and endless visits to the tax office. But no — it was actually pretty easy.
I downloaded the Hometax app on my smartphone, verified my identity through text, and simply followed the on-screen instructions. It took me less than 10 minutes.

If you’re someone who isn’t tech-savvy, you can also visit your local community center and they’ll walk you through it. They even help fill out the forms for you!

🙏 What I Received

Once everything was submitted and reviewed, I got a notification:
97,000 KRW was deposited into my bank account in September.

Honestly, I didn’t expect that amount, but it was a huge help with utility bills and groceries. The full amount for single-person households can go up to 1.65 million KRW, depending on income level.

🙏 Lessons I Learned

• Don’t assume you’re not qualified without checking.

• The requirements are wider than I thought — retirees with small jobs can qualify.

• It's okay to ask for help — public officers were polite and helpful throughout.

• The deadline is usually May to early June every year for regular applications.

If your income is low but you’re still working, even part-time, it’s really worth checking out.

I hope sharing this story encourages others to check whether they’re eligible for the Earned Income Tax Credit.
I was once too embarrassed to apply for government help, thinking it was for others.
But as I get older, I’ve learned that dignity means accepting support when it’s fair and available.

Don't miss out on this benefit simply because you didn’t know.
Check the website, ask questions, and give it a try. You might be pleasantly surprised, like I was.