Capital Gains Tax Calculator (Housing)

Enter the sale and purchase prices, expenses, dates and years lived in the home to get Korean capital gains tax and local income tax on a home sale: the one-home exemption (with the portion above KRW 1.2 billion taxed), long-term holding deduction, basic deduction, holding-period rates and the multi-home surcharge.

2026 rules

Household and homes

Homes owned by the household on the sale date (including this one)

A household is you, your spouse and family living with you at the same address. Redevelopment membership rights and pre-sale rights you own count as homes (they affect the surcharge and the one-home exemption, Act Art. 104(7)). Homes outside the capital region and metropolitan cities with a standard value of KRW 300 million or less are not counted for the surcharge, and if your only other home is such a house the one you sell is not surcharged (Decree Art. 167-10(1)10). Special rules that treat two homes as one (temporary two homes after moving, inherited homes, caring for parents, marriage) are not assessed here.

The home was in a regulated area (jojeong daesang jiyeok) when you bought itThe one-home exemption then also needs 2 years of residence during ownership, on top of 2 years of ownership. The home is in a regulated area at the time of sale (multi-home surcharge)Since 16 Oct 2025 all of Seoul and 12 areas of Gyeonggi are regulated areas. With 2+ homes this adds 20 percentage points to the basic rates (30 with 3+) and removes the long-term holding deduction. Transitional rule: contract (or land-transaction permit application) by 9 May 2026Requires 2+ years of ownership. (1) Homes needing a land-transaction permit (most Seoul and Gyeonggi apartments since the 15 Oct 2025 measures): permit applied for by 9 May 2026, permit granted, contract signed and deposit received, transfer within 4 months of the contract (6 months in the areas below); contracts signed from 10 May must transfer by 9 Sep 2026 (9 Nov in the areas below). (2) Other homes: contract and deposit by 9 May with proof, transfer within 4 months (6 months in the areas below). 6-month areas = Seoul's 21 districts other than Gangnam, Seocho, Songpa and Yongsan, plus the 12 Gyeonggi areas designated 16 Oct 2025; Gangnam, Seocho, Songpa, Yongsan and others get 4 months. Not applied to sales after 9 Nov 2026. Sales on or before 9 May 2026 are excluded automatically. Another surcharge exclusion appliese.g. homes outside the capital region and metropolitan cities with a standard value of KRW 300 million or less, registered long-term rentals, homes inherited within 5 years (Enforcement Decree Art. 167-3, 167-10). Check the conditions yourself.

Ownership and residence

Purchase date (balance paid)

Sale date (balance received)

Full years lived in the home while owning it

Residence counts from the move-in to move-out dates on the resident registration. If title was registered before the balance was paid, the registration date counts instead.

Amounts

Sale price (actual price, KRW)

Purchase price (actual price, KRW)

Deductible expenses (KRW)

Acquisition tax, agent fees on purchase and sale, legal fees and capital improvements (balcony extension, window frames). Repairs such as wallpaper or paint and loan interest do not count. Keep the receipts.

The KRW 2.5 million basic deduction was already used on another sale this yearThe basic deduction is once a year for real-estate gains.

Edit the rules 2026 rules

One-home exemption

High-price threshold (KRW)

Ownership needed (years)

Residence needed (years)

Long-term holding deduction, Table 1 (%, held 3 to 15+ years)

3 yr

4 yr

5 yr

6 yr

7 yr

8 yr

9 yr

10 yr

11 yr

12 yr

13 yr

14 yr

15+ yr

Table 2, ownership (%, 3 to 10+ years)

3 yr

4 yr

5 yr

6 yr

7 yr

8 yr

9 yr

10+ yr

Table 2, residence (%, 2 to 10+ years; the 2-year band needs 3+ years of ownership)

2 yr

3 yr

4 yr

5 yr

6 yr

7 yr

8 yr

9 yr

10+ yr

Basic rates (tax-base band, rate %, quick deduction KRW)

Up to

Quick ded.

Up to

Quick ded.

Up to

Quick ded.

Up to

Quick ded.

Up to

Quick ded.

Up to

Quick ded.

Up to

Quick ded.

Above

Quick ded.

Other

Held under 1 year %

Held 1 to 2 years %

Surcharge, 2 homes +pp

Surcharge, 3+ homes +pp

Last sale date of the surcharge pause

Transitional rule: last sale date (listed areas)

Transitional rule: last sale date (other areas)

Basic deduction (KRW)

Local income tax (% of national)

Payment rounding unit

Defaults follow Korea's Income Tax Act as in force in October 2026 (effective 1 Jul 2026, Act No. 21221), its Enforcement Decree (effective 1 Oct 2026, Presidential Decree No. 36737) and the Local Tax Act (effective 1 Jul 2026, Act No. 21308): exemption Act Art. 89(1)3 and Decree Art. 154, high-price apportionment Decree Art. 160, long-term holding deduction Act Art. 95(2) Tables 1 and 2 and Decree Art. 159-4, basic deduction Art. 103, rates Art. 104(1) and 55(1), surcharge Art. 104(7), local income tax Local Tax Act Art. 103-3. The temporary pause of the multi-home surcharge (Decree Art. 167-3(1)12-2 and 167-10(1)12-2) ended with sales on 9 May 2026 and was not extended. The government's tax reform plan announced on 3 Aug 2026 (lower surcharges in 2027 and 2028, a reworked holding deduction from 2028, a KRW 25 million basic deduction for one home worth up to KRW 3 billion) has not been passed by the National Assembly and is not reflected. If the law changes, edit the numbers here.

Tax to pay (capital gains + local income tax, estimate)

0KRW

Gain0

Tax base0

Rate applied-

Effective rate on the gain0%

Breakdown (KRW)
Sale price	0
(−) Purchase price	0
(−) Expenses	0
= Gain	0
Taxable gain	0
(−) Long-term holding deduction	0
= Capital gains income	0
(−) Basic deduction	0
= Tax base	0
Computed capital gains tax	0
(+) Local income tax	0
Tax to pay	0

This is an estimate for reference. It follows Korea's Income Tax Act (2026 rules) for a resident selling one home in Korea whose actual purchase price is known. This is not tax advice. Confirm the real amount on the National Tax Service's Hometax filing screen, with the tax office or a tax accountant.

Included

One-home exemption (2 years owned, plus 2 years lived if bought in a regulated area) and apportionment above KRW 1.2 billion
Long-term holding deduction Tables 1 and 2 (up to 80%), KRW 2.5 million basic deduction
70% under 1 year, 60% under 2 years, basic rates 6 to 45%, multi-home surcharge in regulated areas (+20 / +30 pp)
Local income tax (10% of the national tax)

Not included

One-home special cases (temporary two homes, inheritance, caring for parents, marriage) and exceptions to the ownership and residence rules
Homes acquired by inheritance or gift (special purchase-price and holding rules, carry-over taxation)
Unregistered transfers (70%), redevelopment membership rights and pre-sale rights, non-business land, tax reliefs, estimated purchase prices, combining several sales in one year, penalties
Checking other surcharge exclusions, local adjustments to the local income tax, the e-filing credit

What this tool does

Enter the sale and purchase prices, expenses, purchase and sale dates and years lived in the home to estimate Korean capital gains tax and local income tax on a home sale under the 2026 Income Tax Act. It shows the one-home exemption and the apportionment above KRW 1.2 billion, long-term holding deduction Tables 1 and 2, the KRW 2.5 million basic deduction, holding-period rates and the regulated-area multi-home surcharge in one table. Rates and deduction percentages can be changed under 'Edit the rules'.

How it is calculated

Gain = sale price − purchase price − expenses. A household with one home owned for 2+ years (plus 2 years lived in it if it was bought in a regulated area) pays nothing on a sale up to KRW 1.2 billion; above that only gain × (sale price − 1.2 billion) ÷ sale price is taxed. The long-term holding deduction uses Table 1 after 3 years (6%, +2 points a year, 30% from 15 years) or, for a one-home household that lived there 2+ years, Table 2 (4% a year of ownership up to 40% plus 4% a year of residence up to 40%, 80% at most), reduced by the same ratio for high-price homes. Subtracting the KRW 2.5 million basic deduction gives the tax base, taxed at 70% if held under 1 year, 60% under 2 years, otherwise the basic rates (6% up to 14 million … 45% above 1 billion, with quick deductions). A home in a regulated area sold by a 2-home household gets +20 points (+30 with 3+ homes) and no holding deduction; the temporary pause for homes held 2+ years and sold by 9 May 2026 was not extended, so the surcharge applies again from 10 May 2026. Local income tax is 10% of the computed tax, and each payment is rounded down to 10 won. Example: a Seoul apartment bought for KRW 600 million on 20 May 2016 and sold for KRW 1.5 billion on 30 Sep 2026 (expenses 30 million, one home, lived in 10 years): of the 870 million gain only 20%, 174 million, is taxable; the 80% holding deduction is 139.2 million; income 34.8 million; tax base 32.3 million; tax 32.3 million × 15% − 1.26 million = KRW 3,585,000; local income tax 358,500; total KRW 3,943,500 (the values shown when the page opens).

Pick how many homes the household owns on the sale date (including this one) and tick whether the home was in a regulated area when bought and when sold

Enter the purchase and sale dates (balance payment, or registration if earlier); the holding period is counted in full years

Enter the full years you actually lived there while owning it (resident registration move-in to move-out)

Enter the sale and purchase prices (actual prices) and expenses (acquisition tax, agent fees, legal fees, capital improvements)

Example: if that apartment is in a regulated area (Seoul) and the household has 2 homes, there is no exemption and no holding deduction; tax base KRW 867.5 million, tax (42% + 20 points) − 35.94 million = 501,910,000, local income tax 50,191,000, total 552,101,000

With the same 2 homes outside a regulated area, Table 1 gives 20% and there is no surcharge: tax base 693.5 million, tax 255,330,000, total 280,863,000

Things to know

The temporary pause of the multi-home surcharge (Enforcement Decree Art. 167-3 and 167-10) covered sales up to 9 May 2026 and was not extended. The transitional rule has two routes. For homes that need a land-transaction permit (most Seoul and Gyeonggi apartments since the 15 Oct 2025 measures), the permit must have been applied for by 9 May, then granted, with a contract and deposit, and the transfer made within 4 months of the contract (6 months in the 6-month areas); if the contract was signed on or after 10 May, the transfer must happen by 9 Sep 2026 (9 Nov in the 6-month areas). Other homes qualify if a contract was signed and a deposit received by 9 May with proof and the transfer happens within 4 months (6 months in the 6-month areas). The 6-month areas are Seoul's 21 districts other than Gangnam, Seocho, Songpa and Yongsan plus the 12 Gyeonggi areas; Gangnam, Seocho, Songpa, Yongsan and others get 4 months.

Since 16 Oct 2025 all 25 districts of Seoul and 12 areas of Gyeonggi (Gwacheon, Gwangmyeong, Seongnam Bundang, Sujeong and Jungwon, Suwon Yeongtong, Jangan and Paldal, Anyang Dongan, Yongin Suji, Uiwang, Hanam) are regulated areas. A home bought there after the designation needs 2 years of residence for the one-home exemption. The residence rule does not apply if a household with no home signed a contract and paid a deposit before the designation was announced (Decree Art. 154(1)5).

Owned for less than 2 years, even a single home is taxed at 60% (70% under 1 year). The holding period is counted including the purchase day, as in the NTS guidelines (bought 10 Mar 2024 means 2 years on 9 Mar 2026); if you are close to the boundary, check with the NTS on 126.

Special rules treat some two-home situations as one home (temporary two homes after moving, inherited homes, combining households for care or marriage), but this calculator does not assess them. If one applies, calculate as one home for reference and check the conditions separately.

The government's 2026 tax reform plan (announced 3 Aug 2026) would lower the surcharge for 2027 and 2028 and rework the holding deduction from 2028, but it has not been passed by the National Assembly, so this calculator uses the current law. The same plan also proposes a KRW 25 million basic deduction for a single home worth up to KRW 3 billion; that is not enacted either.

Even with a loss, a preliminary return is due within 2 months from the end of the month of the sale; the local income tax return goes to your city or district office within 2 more months. If the balance was paid before a land-transaction permit, the 2 months run from the end of the permit month (Act Art. 105(1)1 proviso).

Frequently asked questions

How much tax is there on a single home sold for more than KRW 1.2 billion?

Only the share above KRW 1.2 billion is taxed. Sold for 1.5 billion, (1.5 − 1.2) ÷ 1.5 = 20% of the gain is taxable, and the holding deduction is reduced by the same ratio. Bought for 600 million and owned and lived in for 10 years (expenses 30 million), that is KRW 3,585,000 of capital gains tax plus 358,500 of local income tax, KRW 3,943,500 in total.

Was the pause on the multi-home surcharge extended?

No. The temporary exclusion for homes owned 2+ years covered sales up to 9 May 2026 and was not extended. From 10 May 2026 a 2-home household selling a home in a regulated area pays the basic rates plus 20 points (plus 30 with 3+ homes) and gets no long-term holding deduction. Under the transitional rule, a home needing a land-transaction permit is still excluded if the permit was applied for by 9 May (and then granted, with a contract and deposit) and the transfer happens within 4 months of the contract (by 9 Sep if the contract was signed from 10 May); other homes are excluded if the contract and deposit were done by 9 May and the transfer happens within 4 months. In Seoul's 21 districts outside Gangnam, Seocho, Songpa and Yongsan and the 12 Gyeonggi areas it is 6 months instead of 4 (by 9 Nov for contracts from 10 May).

How do you get the 80% long-term holding deduction?

A one-home household that owned the home for 10+ years and lived in it for 10+ years gets 40% for ownership plus 40% for residence under Table 2. With under 2 years of residence, Table 1 applies instead (at most 30% even after 15 years). Multi-home owners who are not surcharged also get Table 1.

What counts as deductible expenses?

Acquisition tax, agent fees on the purchase and the sale, legal fees and capital improvements that add value, such as a balcony extension, new window frames or a new boiler. Repairs such as wallpaper, flooring or paint and loan interest do not count, and you need receipts.

Household and homes

Ownership and residence

Amounts

What this tool does

How it is calculated

Things to know

Frequently asked questions

References