Busan is good

Busan Tops the Nation in Taxpayer Advocacy System Performance — Advancing Trusted Local Tax Administration

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The Busan Metropolitan City has announced that it achieved the top nationwide ranking in the 2024 Taxpayer Advocacy System Performance Assessment conducted by the Ministry of the Interior and Safety (MOIS). Busan pledged to further accelerate its efforts to enhance taxpayer rights and administrative fairness.

The Taxpayer Advocacy System is designed to address complaints and grievances related to local taxation from the taxpayer’s perspective. It ensures the protection of taxpayer rights and mandates local governments to publish their advocacy performance on their websites within two months of the end of the fiscal year.

Each year, MOIS evaluates local governments based on statistical reports and performance data regarding taxpayer rights protection, and publicly releases the results.

In addition to Busan’s top placement among metropolitan governments, Buk-gu, Geumjeong-gu, and Dongnae-gu ranked first, second, and third respectively among local district governments — showcasing Busan’s excellence at both citywide and district levels.

This outstanding performance was the result of strong collaboration between the city and its districts, with Busan taking the lead in proactively identifying tasks and initiatives each month to eliminate blind spots in taxpayer protection.

Specific strategies included:

• ●Proactively identifying hidden inconveniences

• ●Investigating tax exemption eligibility ex officio

• ●Offering user-friendly tax services

• ●Strengthening citizen engagement and field-based communication

• ●Enhancing the capacity of taxpayer advocates through cooperation and information sharing

• ●Actively promoting the system to raise public awareness

These efforts led to numerous best practices and significant results in protecting taxpayer rights.

Busan also received the Grand Prize at the 2024 Local Taxpayer Rights Advancement Best Practices Conference co-hosted by MOIS and the Korea Local Tax Institute. The city was recognized for its initiative:

“Issuing proactive notifications to taxpayers eligible for cancellation of unpaid gift acquisition tax.”

The initiative targeted cases where taxpayers were unaware of their eligibility for tax cancellation due to unreported gift contract terminations. Instead of waiting for formal objections, Busan acted preemptively to inform and cancel the tax levies, reflecting a proactive and citizen-centric governance approach.

Mayor Park Heong-joon remarked:

“This achievement demonstrates the success of our multifaceted efforts to protect taxpayers. We will continue identifying exemplary cases and advancing the system to become a steadfast partner to our citizens through active and responsive governance.”

He also urged all city staff to remain committed to public service, especially in consideration of the challenges facing the local economy.