South Korean city threatens to sell crypto of tax debtors

As a seasoned analyst with a decade of experience in the financial sector, I find myself intrigued by the latest developments in South Korea’s cryptocurrency landscape. The city of Paju’s decision to seize and sell crypto holdings of tax debtors is a bold move, one that underscores the growing importance of digital assets in our society.


Officials from the city of Paju, situated within South Korea’s Gyeonggi Province, have disclosed their intention to confiscate and auction off the digital currency assets of residents who owe back taxes.

17 individuals residing in Paju city received tax notifications from local authorities on November 18, totaling approximately 124 million Korean Won (equivalent to about $88,600). This amount represents unpaid taxes owed by these individuals.

City officials have alerted these taxpayers that, should their cryptocurrency holdings on exchanges not be paid off by the end of November, there is a risk they could be seized and auctioned to cover any outstanding debts.

Paju city officials will track down debtors’ crypto assets

In Paju City, officials underscored their determination to locate hidden assets and penalize those involved in tax evasion using digital currencies like cryptocurrency. This action is intended as a strong warning that such tactics will not shield individuals from accountability.

It was pointed out by Yonhap that in South Korea, cryptocurrencies are increasingly being used as a method to avoid debt repayment.

In Paju, it’s not a new occurrence for tax authorities to confiscate cryptocurrencies from individuals with unpaid taxes. On July 29th, officials in the area seized approximately $72,000 worth of digital assets from overdue taxpayers.

Authorities clarified that confiscating cryptocurrency holdings from exchanges is a response to individuals intentionally switching their money into digital currencies to evade tax obligations, even though they possess the financial capability to settle their taxes. The authorities suspect these funds were converted to crypto specifically to dodge tax liabilities.

South Korean bank looks to tokenize VAT

Currently, a South Korean bank is working towards converting value-added tax (VAT) refunds into digital tokens. On November 13th, NongHyup Bank entered into an agreement with the digital assets platform, Fireblocks, aiming to unveil a prototype for digitally tokenized tax refunds.

In a trial run, the bank intends to utilize Fireblocks’ tokenization platform for the purpose of reimbursing Goods and Services Tax (GST) and Value-Added Tax (VAT) on purchases made at retail stores.

As an analyst, I’d express it this way: In my perspective, tokenization assigns exclusive digital tags to assets, enabling real-time monitoring from creation to transaction completion. This means reduced risks of human error or deceit due to the automated and transparent nature of the process.

As a crypto investor, I appreciate when the executive emphasizes that these changes lower operational expenses, offering a more reliable and unalterable record to foster trust between me and financial institutions.

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2024-11-18 12:15