South Korea 2026 Light-Car Fuel-Tax Refund — Up to 300,000 KRW/yr

South Korea's Special Tax Treatment Act §111-2 refund for Korean-registered light vehicles (under 1,000cc): 250 KRW/L gasoline, 160 KRW/L diesel, 197 KRW/L LPG — annual cap 300,000 KRW per vehicle. Covers Korean fuel-purchase card, Hometax claim, and sunset extension.

🚗Open Korean Hometax — National Tax Service refund inquiry pageOpen Hometax ↗
⛽ Estimate Your Annual Korean Fuel-Tax Refund
Estimate as monthly liters × 12. Example: 80 L/mo × 12 = 960 L
Estimated Annual Refund (cap: 300,000 KRW)
240,000 KRW
※ The Korean light-car refund is capped at 300,000 KRW/year per vehicle. Refund applies only to fuel paid with a Korean NTS-registered fuel-purchase card. The program runs to Dec 31, 2026 under Korea's Special Tax Treatment Act §111-2; extension depends on Korea's annual tax-amendment bill.

✅ Korean Eligibility

VehicleKorean-registered light vehicle under 1,000cc (sedan, van, truck, special) — one per person
FuelGasoline, diesel, LPG butane only. Korean EVs and hydrogen cars are ineligible.
Required cardKorean NTS-registered fuel-purchase card (issued by Shinhan, Hyundai, Woori, KB Kookmin, Samsung, BC, Lotte, NH Nonghyup, Hana, Citi)
Annual cap300,000 KRW per vehicle — amounts over the cap are not refunded
Sunset dateDec 31, 2026 under the Korean Special Tax Treatment Act (extension per Korea's annual tax bill)

💰 Korean Refund Rate by Fuel (2025–2026)

FuelRate80 L/mo → annual refund
Gasoline250 KRW/L240,000 KRW
Diesel160 KRW/L153,600 KRW
LPG Butane197 KRW/L189,120 KRW

📝 How to Apply (Korea)

  1. ① Apply for a Korean light-car fuel-purchase card at a participating Korean issuer (submit your Korean vehicle registration)
  2. ② Use only that card when fueling — Korean general credit cards don't qualify for the refund
  3. ③ The Korean issuer claims the refund monthly from the NTS → refund auto-deposited to your Korean account (no separate filing)
  4. ④ Check refund history on Korean Hometax: Inquiry → 경차 유류세 환급조회
  5. ⑤ Once you reach the 300,000 KRW annual cap, no further refund that Korean tax year (resets Jan 1)

🔗 Related: Korea 2026 High Oil Price Relief Payment

A separate South Korean Ministry of the Interior and Safety one-time payment; it can be received in addition to the Korean light-car fuel-tax refund.

Go to Relief Payment Page →

⚠️ Watch-outs (Korea)

  • ① You must pay with the Korean NTS-registered fuel-purchase card — general Korean credit cards are excluded and cannot be backdated.
  • ② One Korean vehicle per person, even if a Korean household owns multiple light cars.
  • ③ For Korean corporate ownership, the card must be issued in the executive / representative's name; corporate-expense deduction is separate.
  • ④ Request immediate reissuance if lost or damaged — fuel paid on another Korean card during the gap is not refundable.
  • ⑤ If a Korean station rejects the card, verify NTS registration via 126 or your Korean issuer.
  • ⑥ The 300,000 KRW Korean cap is tracked monthly in cumulative KRW.

📞 Contact (Korea)

Korean NTS Tax Hotline126 → option 2 (Hometax)
Korean card issuer customer centerVaries by issuer
Your Korean district tax officeVaries by region

This South Korea–only summary is based on the Special Tax Treatment Act §111-2 and the Korean National Tax Service / Ministry of Economy & Finance guidance as of April 2026. Rates, caps, and sunset extensions change through Korean annual tax amendments; controlling figures are your Korean fuel-purchase card statements and Hometax refund inquiry. The calculator is a non-binding estimate; verify with Korean Hometax or Korea's tax hotline 126 before relying on any number.

What is Korea's Light-Car Fuel-Tax Refund?

South Korea's light-car fuel-tax refund is a statutory Korean tax break under §111-2 of the Special Tax Treatment Act for owners of Korean-registered vehicles under 1,000cc. The National Tax Service (NTS) refunds 250 KRW/L on gasoline, 160 KRW/L on diesel, and 197 KRW/L on LPG butane up to 300,000 KRW per Korean vehicle per year. Refunds are paid automatically to the Korean owner's bank account via the Korean card issuer, so there's no separate filing — you just need a Korean NTS-registered fuel-purchase card (available from major Korean issuers: Shinhan, Hyundai, Woori, KB Kookmin, Samsung, BC, Lotte, NH, Hana, Citi). The program is scheduled through Dec 31, 2026 under the Korean Special Tax Treatment Act; extensions depend on Korea's annual tax bill. Korean EVs and hydrogen cars are ineligible, and the program is separate from (and stackable with) the Korean Ministry of the Interior and Safety's one-time oil-price relief payment.

Can I use a general Korean credit card?

No. Only the Korean NTS-registered fuel-purchase card qualifies. Amounts paid on general Korean credit or debit cards are not refundable — and no backdating is allowed.

Can I stack with the Korean oil-price relief payment?

Yes. The Korean light-car fuel refund (Special Tax Treatment Act) and the Korean MOIS oil-price relief payment are separate programs, both receivable.

What happens above the 300,000 KRW cap?

No further Korean refund is paid that year. The cap resets on January 1; the card still works for purchases but doesn't generate additional refunds.

Two light cars in my Korean household?

Refund is per person, not per Korean household. To refund two cars, register each in a separate Korean household member's name.

When is the refund paid?

The Korean issuer claims monthly and refunds reach your Korean account 1–2 months after fueling. Check the Korean Hometax 경차 유류세 환급조회.

Will the program continue past 2026?

The current Korean provision runs through Dec 31, 2026. Extensions depend on Korea's annual tax-amendment bill by the Ministry of Economy & Finance — verify each year.

Korea 2026 Light-Car Fuel-Tax Refund — 250 KRW/L Gas, 160 Diesel, 300k Cap

South Korea's 2026 light-car fuel-tax refund under Special Tax Treatment Act §111-2 pays Korean owners of under-1,000cc vehicles 250 KRW/L on gasoline, 160 KRW/L on diesel, and 197 KRW/L on LPG butane up to 300,000 KRW per Korean vehicle per year. Refunds are automatic to the Korean owner's bank account via a Korean NTS-registered fuel-purchase card (Shinhan, Hyundai, Woori, KB Kookmin, Samsung, BC, Lotte, NH, Hana, Citi). General Korean credit cards do not qualify and cannot be backdated. The program runs through Dec 31, 2026 under the Korean Special Tax Treatment Act with extensions via Korea's annual tax-amendment bill. Korean EVs and hydrogen vehicles are excluded. The refund stacks with the Korean MOIS 2026 high oil price relief payment (separate program). Refunds are tracked via Hometax 경차 유류세 환급조회; reach Korea's NTS hotline 126 for help.

All calculators and tools on this site are based on the laws, tax rates, and policies of the Republic of Korea.

This calculator is provided for informational purposes only.

Results are estimates and may differ from actual amounts.

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