How to Apply Late for 2025 Earned Income and Child Tax Credits and the 5% Reduction Criteria
If you missed the regular application period for 2025 earned income and child tax credits, you may submit a late application by December 1, 2026. After review, 95% of the calculated amount will be paid, and you should also check the household, income, and asset requirements and any duplicate deductions.
- The late application period for 2025 tax credits is from June 2 to December 1, 2026.
- Late applicants receive 95% of the tax credit amount confirmed after review, resulting in a 5% reduction compared with regular applications.
- Eligible applicants are residents with employment, business, or religious income; those with business or religious income must apply during the regular or late application period rather than through a semiannual application.
- The asset requirement is determined based on the total assets of all household members as of June 1, 2025, without deducting liabilities.
- If you did not receive a notice or the National Tax Service's records differ from the actual information, you may use Hometax's manual-entry application.
Regular applications for the 2025 Earned Income Tax Credit and Child Tax Credit closed on June 1, 2026. Households that missed the regular application period may file a late application from June 2 through December 1, 2026, but 5% of the credit amount determined through review will be deducted.
The credits are not benefits confirmed simply by applying. The National Tax Service determines eligibility and the amount after reviewing household composition, combined income of the applicant and spouse, household members’ assets, and whether the credits overlap with other deductions or credits.
Application Period and Payment Timing
| Category | Schedule or Processing Standard |
|---|---|
| Tax year | 2025 |
| Regular application deadline | June 1, 2026 |
| Late application period | June 2–December 1, 2026 |
| Late application reduction | 5% of the calculated amount |
| Payment timing | In principle, review and payment within 4 months of the application date |
After December 1, a late application for the 2025 tax year can no longer be filed. Even if verification of some income or asset information is delayed, it is advisable to first check whether you are eligible to apply and what supporting documents are required.
Who Can Apply
The Earned Income Tax Credit may be claimed by residents who had employment income, business income, or religious worker income in 2025 and meet all household, income, and asset requirements. The Child Tax Credit also requires applicants to meet the dependent child requirements in addition to these basic requirements.
Application Method by Type of Income
| Type of income in 2025 | Application method |
|---|---|
| Employment income only | May be eligible for a semiannual or regular application; if the regular application was missed, a late application may be filed |
| Has business income | Not eligible for a semiannual application; use the regular or late application process |
| Has religious worker income | Not eligible for a semiannual application; use the regular or late application process |
| Has both employment income and business income, etc. | Use the regular or late application process |
| Has no income eligible for the credits | In principle, not eligible to apply |
The tax classification of income, including income from insurance sales or door-to-door sales, may depend on the type of income reported to the National Tax Service rather than the actual title of the contract.
If You Already Filed a Semiannual Application
Employees who filed a semiannual application for the 2025 Earned Income Tax Credit will have the credit for that tax year reconciled, so they do not need to file another regular or late application for the same tax year. However, if the reported information has changed, such as when additional business income or religious worker income is identified, they must check the filing and review information on Hometax or contact the competent tax office.
Household Types and Income Requirements
Household types are classified according to whether there is a spouse, dependent child, or direct ascendant aged 70 or older, as well as the applicant’s and spouse’s gross salary, etc. Even if multiple people in one household meet the requirements, eligibility is determined on a household basis, and duplicate payments are not made.
| Household type | General determination criteria | 2025 combined total income threshold for the applicant and spouse |
|---|---|---|
| Single-person household | A household with no spouse, dependent child, or direct ascendant aged 70 or older | Less than KRW 22 million |
| Single-income household | A household in which the spouse’s gross salary, etc. is less than KRW 3 million, or that has a dependent child or direct ascendant aged 70 or older | Less than KRW 32 million |
| Dual-income household | A household in which both the applicant and spouse each have gross salary, etc. of at least KRW 3 million | Less than KRW 44 million |
The Child Tax Credit is available to single-income and dual-income households with dependent children, and the applicant’s and spouse’s combined total income for 2025 must be less than KRW 70 million.
Here, total income does not mean employment income alone. It includes employment, business, and religious worker income, as well as interest, dividends, pensions, other income, and other income included under applicable laws. An industry-specific adjustment rate may apply to business income. Therefore, eligibility should not be determined solely from annual salary or amounts deposited into a bank account.
Points to Note When Determining Spouses and Dependents
- A spouse means a legal spouse and does not include a common-law partner.
- For dependent children and direct ascendants aged 70 or older, age, annual income amount, and livelihood requirements must all be checked.
- Different age limits may apply to dependents with severe disabilities.
- Because the household determination date and the income and asset reference dates may differ, check the household information shown on Hometax.
Asset Requirements and Scope of Aggregation
Assets held by all household members, including the applicant, as of June 1, 2025, are aggregated. The total must be less than KRW 240 million. If the total is at least KRW 170 million but less than KRW 240 million, 50% of the calculated credit amount will be deducted.
Assets subject to aggregation generally include the following:
- Houses, land, and buildings
- Passenger vehicles
- Jeonse deposits and rental deposits
- Financial assets such as savings and installment savings accounts
- Securities such as stocks and bonds
- Various memberships, including golf club memberships
- Rights to acquire real estate
Liabilities such as mortgage loans and jeonse loans are not deducted from the value of assets. Rental deposits may be valued based on the actual contract amount or a statutory valuation method. If National Tax Service data differs from the actual contract terms, supporting documents such as a lease agreement must be prepared.
5% Reduction and Overlap Adjustments
The 5% reduction for a late application is based not on the amount expected by the applicant or the maximum credit available under the program, but on the calculated amount determined through review.
For example, if there are no other reduction or offset reasons and the amount calculated through review is KRW 2 million, the amount after the late-application reduction is KRW 1.9 million.
KRW 2 million × 95% = KRW 1.9 million
The actual payment may differ further if any of the following separate adjustment reasons apply:
- Asset reduction when the household members’ total assets are at least KRW 170 million
- Overlap adjustment when both the Child Tax Credit and the child tax credit deduction were claimed for the same child
- Offset of part of the payment under applicable laws due to unpaid national taxes
- A change in the amount calculated through review because the application information differs from information verified by the National Tax Service
If the Child Tax Credit and the child tax credit deduction overlap for the same dependent child, an amount equivalent to the child tax credit deduction may be adjusted against the Child Tax Credit. Therefore, applicants must also check the child tax credit deduction claimed during year-end tax settlement or on a comprehensive income tax return.
What to Prepare Before Applying
Anyone who received a notice can apply easily by preparing the individual authentication number shown on the notice. Even without a notice, anyone who believes they meet the requirements may submit a manually entered application through Hometax.
The following information should be checked or prepared:
- An identity authentication method and household information in the resident registration records
- Contact information in the applicant’s name and an account for receiving the credit
- The applicant’s and spouse’s 2025 income details
- Relationship, cohabitation, and income information for dependent children and direct ascendants
- Details of household members’ assets as of June 1, 2025
- Documents proving income, lease, or asset information that differs from National Tax Service data
Entering incorrect account information may delay payment. Check again that the account holder matches the applicant and verify the account number and financial institution.
Official Application Process
Applying Through Hometax
- Go to the Earned Income Tax Credit and Child Tax Credit application page on National Tax Service Hometax.
- Verify your identity using one of the available methods, such as a joint certificate, financial certificate, or simplified authentication.
- If you received a notice, use the individual authentication number to review the prefilled application information.
- If you did not receive a notice or the displayed information differs from the actual information, select the manually entered application.
- Enter or revise household member, income, asset, contact, and refund account information.
- Review the possible reductions and the application confirmation statement, then submit the application.
- Save or record the receipt number and confirmation that the application was completed.
Hometax menu names may change following system updates. If you have difficulty finding the application page, search Hometax for “late application for the Earned Income Tax Credit and Child Tax Credit” and confirm that the applicable tax year is 2025.
If You Did Not Receive a Notice
A notice is provided for application convenience, and not receiving one does not by itself prohibit an application. If you believe you meet the requirements, you may enter personal information, income details, jeonse deposit details, account information, and other information in the manually entered application on Hometax.
Conversely, even if you received a notice, you may be found ineligible or the amount may change depending on the review results.
Checking Review Progress After Applying
You can check whether the application was received and its processing status through “Check Review Progress” in the Earned Income Tax Credit and Child Tax Credit menu on Hometax. When checking, be sure to confirm that the information is for the 2025 tax year.
If you receive a request for supplementary information, submit the materials using the specified method and within the specified period. If your address or contact information has changed, check your registered information to avoid missing notices from the National Tax Service. In principle, late applications are paid within 4 months of the application date, but actual eligibility and the amount are determined based on the review results.
Final Checklist Before Applying
- Did you have at least one of employment, business, or religious worker income in 2025?
- Is your household not already being processed through a semiannual application for the 2025 tax year?
- Did you correctly classify your household as single-person, single-income, or dual-income?
- Is the applicant’s and spouse’s combined total income less than the threshold for the applicable household type?
- Were the household members’ total assets as of June 1, 2025, less than KRW 240 million?
- Did you check for a possible overlap adjustment between the child tax credit deduction and the Child Tax Credit?
- Did you enter the account and contact information correctly?
- Did you submit the application by December 1, 2026?
FAQ
What is the deadline for late applications for the Earned Income Tax Credit and Child Tax Credit for tax year 2025?
The deadline is December 1, 2026. Applications may be submitted starting June 2, 2026, the day after the regular application period ends. After the deadline, applications for tax year 2025 will no longer be accepted.
Is the amount always reduced by only 5% if I apply after the deadline?
The reduction for filing a late application itself is 5% of the amount calculated upon review. However, the actual payment may be further adjusted for other reasons, such as a reduction due to assets of at least KRW 170 million, an adjustment for duplicate child tax credits, or the application of the payment toward tax arrears.
If I submitted a semiannual application for the Earned Income Tax Credit, do I need to apply again?
Wage earners who submitted a semiannual application for the Earned Income Tax Credit for tax year 2025 do not need to submit another regular or late application for the same tax year. If the information reported has changed, such as through the addition of business income or religious worker income, you should check how to proceed through Hometax or the competent tax office.
Can people with business income and religious worker income also submit a late application?
Yes, if they meet the household, income, asset, and other requirements. People with business income and religious worker income are not eligible for semiannual applications, so if they missed the regular application period, they must submit a late application.
Can I apply even if I did not receive a notice from the National Tax Service?
Even without a notice, you may use Hometax's manual application option if you believe you meet the requirements. You must directly enter information about household members, income, assets, lease deposits, and bank account details, and prepare the necessary supporting documents.
Are loans deducted when calculating assets?
No. The calculation includes the combined value of homes, land, vehicles, jeonse deposits, financial assets, securities, memberships, rights to acquire real estate, and other assets held by household members as of June 1, 2025, without deducting liabilities.
Can I apply for the Child Tax Credit benefit even if I received a child tax credit?
You may submit an application, but the child tax credit and the Child Tax Credit benefit for the same child are subject to an overlap adjustment. During the review, an amount equivalent to the child tax credit may be deducted from the Child Tax Credit benefit, so you should check your year-end tax settlement and comprehensive income tax return details.
When will benefits applied for after the deadline be paid?
According to National Tax Service guidance, applications are generally reviewed and paid within four months of the application date. Payment is not made immediately upon application, and eligibility for payment and the amount may vary depending on whether additional documentation is required and the results of the review.
What should I do if the income or asset information on the application differs from the actual information?
You must enter the actual information through Hometax's manual application option and prepare supporting documents, such as income records and lease agreements. Simply correcting pre-entered information does not mean that the correction will be automatically accepted; it is subject to review by the National Tax Service.
Sources
- National Tax Service Hometax Earned Income and Child Tax Credit Application
- National Tax Service Press Releases on the Earned Income and Child Tax Credits
- National Tax Service Guide to the Earned Income and Child Tax Credit Programs
- National Tax Service Earned Income and Child Tax Credit Information Board
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