Phone and text outreach totaled 13,171 contacts, with 126 on-site visits; about 300 million won in overdue taxes collected
Three delinquent taxpayers facing financial hardship referred to welfare services for livelihood, residential and emergency support
Gwangjin-gu in Seoul is running a local tax delinquency management team to collect overdue taxes while identifying residents who have fallen through the welfare safety net.
The district formed the nine-member team of fixed-term workers in August to contact residents with outstanding local taxes and non-tax revenue obligations through phone calls, text messages and on-site visits.
The team does more than notify delinquent taxpayers of what they owe and how to pay — it also checks whether residents are living at their registered addresses, assesses their living conditions and evaluates their ability to pay. When financial hardship is identified, the team coordinates with relevant welfare departments to connect residents with the support they need.
In practice, three delinquent taxpayers struggling with financial difficulties have so far been referred to welfare departments, receiving tangible assistance including livelihood and residential support as well as emergency welfare benefits.
As of the end of October, the team had made 4,398 phone calls urging payment, sent 8,773 text message notices and conducted 126 on-site visits — a combined outreach total of 13,171 phone and text contacts. Of the overdue amounts covered by those contacts, about 300 million won ($224,000) has been collected.
Going forward, the district plans to strengthen tailored management for individual delinquent taxpayers and build the team's operational capacity, while actively using on-site visits to identify residents in need of assistance.
"The delinquency management team not only guides taxpayers on payment but also looks into their living conditions to find residents who need help," Gwangjin-gu District Mayor Kim Kyung-ho said. "We will work to provide real support for residents' financial stability by linking tax delinquency management with welfare services."
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