South Korea is to implement on-demand transaction reporting from 1 July 2022 for non-resident suppliers of digital or electronic services. Korea first implemented VAT on digital services in July 2015.
Non-residents registered for digital services are obliged to maintain transactional-level details for at least five years. The Ministry of Strategy and Finance has now announced in its 2020 tax proposal measures that providers must be prepared to send this on-demand. They will be given 60 days’ notice to produce the information following any request from the Commissioner of National Tax.
This will also include online marketplaces and similar electronic platforms that provide third-party sellers’ digital services. They are the deemed supplier for VAT purpose of the sale under South Korea’s rules. Our VAT Calculator tax engine can provide instant South Korean VAT or any other global indirect tax calculations for your e-invoicing or real-time reporting obligations.
There is a simplified VAT registration and reporting process for non-resident providers. The current VAT rate in South Korea is 10%.
Follow VAT Calc’s global VAT and GST on digital services tracker for live updates on worldwide reforms.
Asia Pacific VAT on digital services
| Comments (click for details) | Rate | Date | Threshold | Comments |
| Australia | 10% | Jul 2017 | AUD $75,000 | |
| Azerbaijan | 12% | Jan 2017 | – | |
| Armenia | 20% | Jan 2022 | AMD 115million | |
| Bangladesh | 5% - 15% | Jul 2019 | – | B2B and B2C |
| Bhutan | 7% | Jul 2021 | Nu 5million | |
| Cambodia | 10% | Mar 2022 | KHR 250m | |
| China | 6%-13% | N/a | Nil | Withholding VAT; B2B and B2C |
| Cook Island | 15% | 2019 | NZ$ 40,000 | |
| Fiji | 9% | TBC | FJD 300,000 | |
| India | 18% | Jul 2017 | - | |
| Indonesia | 11% | Aug 2020 | IDR600m or 12k customers | |
| Japan | 10% | Oct 2015 | JPY 10 million | |
| Kazakhstan | 12% | Jan 2022 | Nil | |
| Kiribati | 12.5% | 2017 | AU$ 100,000 | |
| Kyrgyzstan | 12% | Jan 2022 | Nil | |
| Laos | 10% | Feb 2022 | LAK 400m | |
| Malaysia | 8% | Jan 2020 | RM500,000 | |
| Nepal | 13% | Jul 2022 | Rupees 2m | Also 2% DST |
| New Caledonia | 11% | 2020 | XPF 7.5 million | |
| New Zealand | 15% | Oct 2016 | NZD 60,000 | |
| Pakistan | 2% | Sep 2021 | Nil | Marketplace Withholding VAT |
| Palau | 10% | Jan 2023 | $300,000 | |
| Philippines | 12% | May 2025 | P 3million | |
| Singapore | 9% | Jan 2020 | S$ 100,000 | |
| South Korea | 10% | Jul 2015 | Nil | |
| Sri Lanka | 18% | 2025? | LKR 60m | Proposals only |
| Taiwan | 5% | May 2017 | NTD 480,000 | |
| Tajikistan | 14% | Jan 2021 | ||
| Thailand | 7% | Sep 2021 | 1.8m Baht | |
| Uzbekistan | 12% | Jan 2020 | Nil | |
| Vietnam | 10% | Dec 2020 | – |
