From Reconstruction Sites to Senior Centers, Childcare Support Centers and Single-Person Household Centers: Customized 1:1 Consultations

Staff-Built Reservation and Call System Cuts Wait Times for Free 1:1 Sessions

A tax consultation session
A tax consultation session

Gangnam-gu will run its "2026 Second-half Mobile Tax Consultation Program" through November, sending tax experts directly to residents who need professional help.

Tax issues -- from inheritance and gift taxes to acquisition taxes tied to reconstruction projects -- are often too complex and technical for residents to handle on their own. The district has been running on-site consultation sessions to help residents who feel intimidated about consulting a tax professional. Volunteer tax accountants from the Korea Association of Certified Public Tax Accountants and Seoul's community tax accountant program staff these sessions, bringing assistance closer to where people live.

Last year, the district held nine consultation sessions at festivals, traditional markets and corporate sites, providing 512 consultations to 1,024 people, with a satisfaction rate topping 90 percent. On March 12, it held a session at the Gangnam-gu Community Center in conjunction with a reconstruction project academy, drawing enough interest that all 30 consultation slots filled up early.

This year's second-half program kicked off on Aug. 20 at the general meeting of the Yeoksam-dong reconstruction association. Five tax accountants specializing in reconstruction and real estate, along with one Seoul community tax accountant, advised 36 union members and residents on tax-related issues. Topics included reconstruction-related acquisition tax, property tax, capital gains tax and the tax treatment of reconstruction contributions. All 36 pre-booked slots were filled.

From October through November, the program will expand to facilities closer to residents' daily lives. The district will hold sessions at senior welfare centers for older residents, childcare support centers for families with multiple children, and single-person household community centers for single-person householders. Consultations will focus on the areas of highest interest for each group, ranging from transfer, inheritance and gift taxes to tax matters related to starting or closing a business. The district is also considering on-site consultations tied to autumn festivals and traditional market events.

Consultations run on a reservation basis, offering each participant up to 20 minutes of one-on-one guidance, with roughly 40 people served per session. A reservation and call system developed in-house by district staff lets applicants pick their preferred time slot when booking. On-site, it automatically calls them in order, cutting down on wait times.

The district will announce the schedule for each center via the Gangnam-gu website, social media and each center's bulletin board once finalized.

Kim Hyun-gi, the Gangnam-gu district mayor, said, "We are expanding our mobile consultation program so that residents who hesitate to seek professional advice on tax concerns can get help conveniently, close to where they live." He added, "We will continue offering taxpayer-centered services that provide real, practical help in resolving complex, everyday tax issues such as property tax and inheritance and gift taxes."


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