When Will the 2026 Year-End Tax Settlement Preview Open? How to Calculate Card Income Deductions Before Hometax Launches
As of 2026-10-18, the exact opening date of the year-end tax settlement preview for income attributable to 2026 has not yet been officially confirmed. Last year, the service opened on November 5. Even before it opens, employees can estimate their eligible income deductions using their card spending for the year and expected gross salary.
In particular, the amounts employees can use as a reference when planning their remaining spending will vary depending on how much they have spent using credit and debit cards this year.
When Will the 2026 Year-End Tax Settlement Preview Open?
It is not yet possible to provide a confirmed opening date for the year-end tax settlement preview covering income attributable to 2026. Although the National Tax Service (NTS) previously opened the service for income attributable to 2025 on 2025-11-05, this does not mean it will open on the same date this year.
It is important to distinguish between the income year covered by a year-end tax settlement and the year in which the settlement actually takes place.
Year-end tax settlement for income attributable to 2025: Employment income earned in 2025 is settled in early 2026.
Year-end tax settlement for income attributable to 2026: Employment income earned in 2026 is settled in early 2027.
Therefore, employees who want to review their remaining card spending for this year should look for the preview service covering income attributable to 2026.
Last year's NTS preview calculated estimated taxes using card spending from January through September, together with deduction details from the previous year's tax settlement.
Whether the 2026 service will operate in the same way must be confirmed through this year's official opening announcement and the actual Hometax interface.
How to Estimate Credit Card Income Deductions Before Hometax Opens
Even if the preview service has not opened, employees can make a basic assessment of their deduction eligibility by obtaining their card spending totals and expected gross salary.
First, check the cumulative spending from January 2026 through the present in your credit card statements and the transaction history of accounts linked to your debit cards. It is also helpful to check cash receipt records separately.
Next, use company payslips or similar documents to estimate your gross salary for 2026.
The important point is that the calculation uses gross salary as defined under Korean tax law, not the net amount deposited into your bank account.
First, Calculate Whether Card Spending Exceeds 25% of Gross Salary
The income deduction for credit card and other eligible spending is calculated based on the portion of spending exceeding 25% of gross salary.
For example, if annual gross salary is KRW 50,000,000, the threshold is calculated as follows.
<text color="secondary" weight="medium" size="xs">Calculation example for an employee with expected gross salary of KRW 50,000,000</text>
<text color="secondary" size="xs">25% of gross salary</text>
<title size="xl" color="default" tabularNums>KRW 12,500,000</title>
<text color="secondary" size="xs">Amount exceeding the threshold when card spending is KRW 15,000,000</text>
<title size="xl" color="default" tabularNums>KRW 2,500,000</title>
The calculation is KRW 50,000,000 × 25% = KRW 12,500,000.
If eligible card spending totals KRW 15,000,000, the amount spent above the threshold is KRW 2,500,000.
However, this does not mean the entire KRW 2,500,000 becomes an income deduction. Different deduction rates must be applied depending on the payment method, including credit and debit cards. Deduction limits and excluded spending categories must also be considered.
How Different Are the Deduction Rates for Credit and Debit Cards?
According to the NTS guidance for the 2025 year-end tax settlement preview, the basic deduction rates were 15% for credit cards and 30% for debit cards and cash receipts.
| Payment Method | Basic Income Deduction Rate |
|---|---|
| Credit card | 15% |
| Debit card | 30% |
| Cash receipt | 30% |
Comparing the deduction rates alone, the rates for debit cards and cash receipts are twice the credit card rate.
For example, if the respective deduction rates are applied to KRW 1,000,000 of ordinary eligible spending above the 25% gross salary threshold, the resulting deductions would be KRW 150,000 for credit cards and KRW 300,000 for debit cards.
This calculation is intended to illustrate the difference between deduction rates. In an actual year-end tax settlement, the final deduction may vary depending on the order in which credit card spending deductions are applied, deduction limits, and spending categories eligible for preferential deductions.
Furthermore, an income deduction of KRW 300,000 does not mean a tax refund of KRW 300,000. An income deduction reduces the amount of taxable income used to calculate tax liability.
Which Card Payments Are Excluded from Income Deductions?
Not every card payment qualifies for an income deduction, even when total spending is high.
In its guidance for income attributable to 2025, the NTS identified the following expenses as excluded from credit card income deductions:
Vehicle purchase costs
Insurance premiums and utility or other public charges
University tuition
Gift certificate purchases
Spending at duty-free shops
Rent payments for which a rent tax credit has been claimed
Therefore, using the entire payment total shown in a card issuer's app as the eligible deduction amount may produce a result that differs from the actual calculation.
For example, even if annual card payments total KRW 20,000,000, the amount used to calculate the income deduction will be smaller if that total includes excluded expenses.
When estimating deductions before the service opens, it is important to distinguish total payments from eligible spending.
Where Can You Access the Year-End Tax Settlement Preview Once It Opens?
When announcing the service for income attributable to 2025, the NTS provided the following navigation path in Hometax, Korea's online tax administration service.
1. Log in to the National Tax Service's Hometax website.
2. Select the 'Tax Incentives, Year-End Tax Settlement, and Donations' menu.
3. Go to 'Convenient Year-End Tax Settlement.'
4. Select 'Year-End Tax Settlement Preview.'
Last year's service allowed users to review their previous year's payment statement and enter their expected annual salary for the current year.
It also allowed users to add estimated spending from October onward to actual card spending from January through September, then calculate estimated tax savings from credit card income deductions.
The service also provided options to adjust estimated expenses for other deduction categories, including housing-related costs, insurance premiums, medical expenses, and education expenses.
Once the preview service for income attributable to 2026 opens, users will need to check its actual features and menu structure again.
What Is the Difference Between the Year-End Tax Settlement Preview and the Simplified Tax Settlement Service?
The two services serve different purposes and are used at different times.
The Year-End Tax Settlement Preview allows employees to estimate their tax calculations before the end of the year by entering expected income and expenses.
By contrast, the Simplified Year-End Tax Settlement Service allows employees to access supporting documents for income deductions and tax credits required for their actual year-end tax settlement.
The NTS opened the simplified service on 2026-01-15 for the year-end tax settlement covering income attributable to 2025. At the time, it announced that the service would provide a total of 45 categories of deduction-related documents, including credit card spending records.
That date was the opening date of the simplified service for income attributable to 2025. It does not indicate the preview opening date for income attributable to 2026 or the simplified service opening date in 2027.
Will the Actual Tax Refund Match the Estimated Refund?
The estimated refund calculated by the preview service may differ from the final refund.
The calculation may change if estimated gross salary differs from actual income or if card spending through the end of the year, eligible dependents, medical expenses, education expenses, or other deduction items change.
Therefore, even if the preview displays an estimated refund, employees should not regard that amount as final.
The actual year-end tax settlement must reflect actual income and applicable deduction requirements. In particular, deduction eligibility must be checked against the tax laws applicable to income attributable to 2026 and each individual's circumstances.
Amounts to Check First in October 2026
Rather than simply waiting for the preview service's opening date, it is more practical to organize your expected gross salary and card spending for the year now.
Multiply expected gross salary by 25% to calculate the card income deduction threshold, then compare it with eligible spending accumulated so far.
Next, review credit card, debit card, and cash receipt spending separately, and add estimated spending for the remaining part of the year.
Confirm the exact opening date of the 2026 year-end tax settlement preview through an official NTS announcement. Until then, start by calculating whether card spending exceeds 25% of gross salary. Keeping these two matters separate allows employees to begin preparing even before the service opens.
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