The one-home exemption, temporary two homes and the merger rules all start from “one household” (1-sedae). Income Tax Act Art. 88 item 6 defines it as the family unit formed by a resident and their spouse with family sharing a living at the same address, and its proviso says that in cases set by Decree a person is one household even without a spouse. Decree Art. 152-3 lists three: aged 30 or over, spouse died or divorced, or, under 30, income of at least 40% of the standard median income annualised over 12 months while living independently. Answer the questions to see whether you count as one household without a spouse.
1. Aged 30 or over: one household without a spouse (item 1).
2. Spouse died or divorced: one household (item 2).
3. Under 30: the income test — business, wage and listed other income at least the monthly median × 12 × 40%, living independently (item 3). Minors are excluded as a rule.
4. Family at the same address sharing a living belong to one household (Art. 88 item 6, main text).
Checker
Updates as you type. 2,500,000 won is our example, not the official median; enter the figure from the Ministry of Health and Welfare notice. The article does not say which household size to use. Exempt income is excluded (Rule Art. 70).
The provisions
| Type | What the source says | Worth noting (ours) |
|---|---|---|
| Income Tax Act Art. 88 item 6 | “One household” is the family unit formed by a resident and their spouse (including a legally divorced person still sharing a living, hard to see as actually divorced) with those sharing a living at the same address or residence [lineal ascendants and descendants of the resident and spouse (and their spouses) and siblings, including those temporarily away for study, medical care, work or business]. In cases set by Decree, a person is one household even without a spouse. | A paper divorce while living together still counts as a spouse |
| Decree Art. 152-3 item 1 | The resident is aged 30 or over | Age in full years (our gloss) |
| Item 2 | The spouse has died or the couple divorced | No age limit |
| Item 3 | Income under Art. 4 as set by ministry ordinance is at least 40% of the standard median income (National Basic Living Security Act Art. 2 item 11) converted to 12 months, and the person can live independently while managing a home or land they own. Minors are excluded, except where marriage, a family death or another reason in the ordinance makes forming a household unavoidable. | Article last amended 30 Dec 2025 |
| Enforcement Rule Art. 70 | Item 3 income = business income (Art. 19(1)), wage income (Art. 20(1)), other income in Art. 21(1) items 5, 15 and 19, and similar continuing income the NTS Commissioner recognises, added up (exempt income excluded; business and other income after expenses) | Interest, dividends and capital gains are not listed |
Three sums — our example
| Case (our example) | Result | Worth noting (ours) |
|---|---|---|
| Single employee aged 28, wages 15,000,000 won, median entered as 2,500,000 won | Yes | Line 2,500,000 × 12 × 40% = 12,000,000 won |
| Same person, wages 11,999,999 won | No | 1 won short |
| Minor aged 17, income 30,000,000 won | No | A minor needs an unavoidable reason such as marriage or a family death |
2,500,000 won is our example figure to show the sum, not the Ministry of Health and Welfare notice. The article says only to convert the median to 12 months; it does not say which household size. Use that year’s notice and ask the tax office.
Why it matters
If a child living apart from their parents owns a home but does not count as one household, the child may be grouped with the parents and the homes added together (our gloss). That changes the one-home test when the parents sell. A single person aged 30 or over, or one meeting the income test, is one household without a spouse. Still, family sharing a living at the same address are one unit under the main text, on our reading — that is the last line of the checker.
Once the household is settled, see the holding and residence checker, and for a short spell with two homes the temporary two-home deadline calculator and the marriage and parent-care merger calculator.
Checklist
- ☐ Whether you have a spouse on the sale date (a paper divorce still counts)
- ☐ Whether you are 30 or over
- ☐ Under 30: your business, wage and other income and that year’s median
- ☐ Leave out exempt income; business income after expenses
- ☐ Whether you really live and support yourself apart
Questions that remain
What if my address is at my parents’ but I live elsewhere?
Art. 88 item 6 refers to those “sharing a living at the same address or residence”. Where address and real life differ, the facts decide; the article gives no test.
What if I only have interest or dividends?
Rule Art. 70 lists business, wage and some other income plus continuing income the NTS recognises. Interest and dividends are not named.
Age as at when?
The article says only “aged 30 or over”. It does not say when; since the exemption is judged on the sale date, we read it as the sale date.
Sources
- Korean law database (law.go.kr) — Income Tax Enforcement Decree Art. 152-3 — source (current text, effective 1 October 2026, Presidential Decree No. 36737; checked 2 November 2026). Three cases of one household without a spouse (30 or over, death or divorce, income of 40% of median), proviso for minors.
- Korean law database — Income Tax Act Art. 88 item 6 — source (current text, effective 1 July 2026, Act No. 21221; checked 2 November 2026). Definition and proviso.
- Korean law database — Income Tax Enforcement Rule Art. 70 — source (current text, effective 1 July 2026, Ordinance No. 33; checked 2 November 2026). Income counted for item 3.
- Not read. The Ministry of Health and Welfare median income notice, the ordinance on unavoidable reasons for minors (not found in the Rule), case law and rulings.
- What we added. The “worth noting” column and the Korean everyday gloss.
Where to check further
- Ministry of Health and Welfare notice — that year’s median income.
- Your tax office or the NTS — whether you really live apart.
Written on 2 November 2026. The content is from the source; the glosses are ours.
