Yangju City Lifts Seizures on 85 Effectively Destroyed Vehicles...Helps Low-Income Taxpayers in Arrears Get Back on Their Feet

Seizure Records for Nonexistent Vehicles Cleared
Tax Arrears Are Not Immediately Waived

Yangju City in Gyeonggi Province said on Oct. 23 that it had lifted the seizures on 85 vehicles deemed effectively destroyed, even though seizure records for them remained in administrative records.

A view of Yangju City Hall. Provided by Yangju City.

The measure was introduced to ease the burden on low-income taxpayers in arrears who had been unable to resolve their tax issues for a long time because seizure records remained in place even after their vehicles were gone.

The city’s taxpayer protection officer identified cases that taxpayers would have difficulty resolving on their own and investigated vehicle operation and scrapping records, as well as whether the vehicles had been left unattended for a long time without authorization. The officer confirmed that 85 vehicles were effectively destroyed and, in consultation with the Collection Division responsible for handling tax arrears, lifted the seizures.

When a vehicle remains seized, the statute of limitations on the local government’s right to collect taxes is suspended, which can prolong the period of delinquency. Once the seizure is lifted, the statute of limitations may begin running again in accordance with relevant laws. However, lifting a seizure does not immediately eliminate the unpaid taxes; the payment obligation ends only when the statute of limitations expires.

Park Jongho, Yangju City’s taxpayer protection officer, said, "It is not right for small-scale taxpayers in arrears to be unable to resume normal economic activities because of seizure records for vehicles that do not actually exist. We will continue to identify and address the tax-related difficulties residents face and help them get back on their feet financially."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.