The Seoul Metropolitan Government has reported significant success with its pilot operation of a ‘Smartphone Tax Delinquency Notification and Payment Service’. (Image courtesy of Yonhap)
SEOUL, Jan. 3 (Korea Bizwire) – The Seoul Metropolitan Government has reported significant success with its pilot operation of a ‘Smartphone Tax Delinquency Notification and Payment Service’ that informs citizens of their unpaid taxes via KakaoTalk. Launched as part of a pilot project, the service has seen a notable impact in encouraging prompt tax payments.
Implemented on November 1 last year, the service notifies citizens of local tax delinquencies through KakaoTalk messages. The trial, set to run until March, has already demonstrated its effectiveness.
During the first month of its operation, about 66% of recipients who opened the KakaoTalk delinquency notifications proceeded to pay their taxes. This rate was even higher for resident taxes, with 71% of those who read the notification paying their dues.
Apart from its success in tax collection, the service is also being lauded for its environmental benefits. The city noted that while traditional paper notices sent via mail cost around 45 million won, the KakaoTalk notifications cost only about 4.7 million won, roughly a tenth of the cost. This saving is equivalent to planting 53 trees, effectively reducing carbon emissions by approximately 484 kg.
Moreover, the service employs cutting-edge technology by using encrypted personal information, such as resident registration numbers, thus enhancing data security and minimizing privacy breaches.
The Seoul Metropolitan Government plans to expand the service in the first quarter of this year, making it available to all KakaoTalk users. This expansion aims to allow more citizens to conveniently receive and respond to tax delinquency notifications.
Kim Jin-man, the head of Seoul’s Digital Policy Bureau, emphasized the city’s commitment to improving citizen convenience through such services. “We will continue to expand services that are in line with the needs of our citizens,” he said. “By integrating the latest technology and administrative innovations, we aim to effectively address the issue of local tax delinquencies.”
Kevin Lee (kevinlee@koreabizwire.com)
