Tax agency to hire 9,500 workers for crackdown on delinquent taxpayers

Korea's national tax agency said Monday it plans to hire around 9,500 contract workers to support an all-out probe into delinquent taxpayers. The National Tax Service (NTS) said it has secured a budget of 213.4 billion won ($142.1 million) to employ the workers, who will conduct field checks on 3.84 million people with overdue non-tax government payments and 1.33 million delinquent taxpayers. The outstanding amount of unpaid government payments and taxes is estimated at 16 trillion won and 114 trillion won, respectively. "With the budget, the tax agency will set up nationwide teams dedicated to managing tax delinquents and begin full-scale field inspections in July," the agency said in a release. The NTS noted it plans to provide welfare programs and other remedies for delinquents suffering from financial difficulties. The agency added that it hopes the project will also help job seekers, who have recently faced challenges in finding positions amid the prolonged Middle East conflict.