Eight-member delinquency management team uses phone calls and field visits over three months to assess cases; chronic evaders face asset seizure while struggling residents get installment plans and welfare referrals
Seoul's Gwanak-gu is running a field-based, tailored tax delinquency program that links overdue tax collection with outreach to residents who have fallen through the welfare safety net.
The district assembled an eight-member delinquency management team in August — seven fixed-term workers and one dedicated civil servant — and over three months collected 210 million won ($157,000) in overdue taxes while connecting residents to 24 welfare services, the district said.
Team members contact delinquent taxpayers by phone or visit them in person to assess their financial situation, ability to pay and living conditions. The program's key feature is that it does not simply pursue collection but adjusts its approach based on the cause of the delinquency and the resident's circumstances.
Residents found to have the means to pay but deliberately avoiding doing so face asset investigations and seizures under relevant laws. Those who cannot pay due to job loss or reduced income are guided toward installment plans, and those who need welfare or employment support are referred to the relevant departments for tailored counseling.
In August, a team member conducting a phone consultation with a local tax delinquent discovered a resident with no steady income who was facing financial hardship. The team made two in-person visits to confirm the resident's living conditions and welfare needs before making a referral to the district's welfare department.
"I'm grateful that someone came to listen to my situation and helped connect me to assistance," the resident said. "Once my life stabilizes, I will pay off the overdue amount little by little, as my circumstances allow."
Gwanak-gu plans to hire seven fixed-term workers next year to continue operating the team. The district said it will strengthen payment guidance by delinquency type and expand field investigations, while linking residents in financial need to welfare and employment services.
"The delinquency management team is not simply an organization that collects taxes — it is an administrative effort to find residents' difficulties in the field and work together to find solutions," Gwanak-gu District Mayor Park Jun-hee said. "We will continue to pursue fair and compassionate tax administration: responding firmly to those who have the ability to pay, while connecting those who need help to welfare and employment support."
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