Last verified: 30 September 2026. Method, assumptions and source notes were checked for this revision.
Check one purchase
What this tool is designed to answer
The result is a planning aid, not a live booking quote. Current rules and source limits are stated on the page.
Current official thresholds
- Korea Tourism Organization's current comprehensive guide says a purchase must be ₩15,000 or more to qualify.
- Immediate refund: single transaction under ₩1 million and cumulative immediate-refund purchases ₩5 million or less.
- Downtown general refund: current guide lists a single-transaction ceiling of ₩6 million.
- Airport general refund: current guide lists eligibility from ₩15,000 without that downtown per-receipt ceiling.
- Eligibility also depends on visitor status, participating retailer, taking the goods overseas within 3 months and the goods remaining export-verifiable.
VISITKOREA Comprehensive Tax Refund Guide ↗
This calculator is a planning aid, not a promise of a specific refund. The retailer/refund operator and customs process determine the actual refundable amount.
How to use this result well
Method
The calculator separates the theoretical VAT component from the refund route and uses the transaction and cumulative-spend inputs you provide. It is designed to make thresholds visible before you shop.
Limits
Actual refunds depend on traveller eligibility, participating stores, purchase type, refund operator fees and current rules. The theoretical VAT component is not a promise of the cash refund you will receive.
Questions this tool does — and does not — answer
Is the VAT component the amount I will receive?
No. It is a theoretical tax component; the actual refund can be lower.
Does every shop participate?
No. Confirm that the store and purchase are eligible before relying on a refund.
Why enter cumulative spending?
Some refund routes use both per-transaction and cumulative limits, so one receipt is not always the whole picture.