Rent tax credit and youth rent support, separately

The diagram below is a self-made illustration, not a real screen.

If you pay monthly rent, you can look at two things separately: the rent tax credit at year-end tax settlement, and the Ministry of Land’s youth rent support. Our guide on claiming missed deductions already covers the basics (homeless household head, salary cap, rate and limit) and how to claim past years, so this guide goes one step further.

Who this suits

• People renting an officetel or gosiwon who aren’t sure they qualify
• People on half-jeonse (deposit loan plus monthly rent)
• Homeless young adults aged 19 to 34 living apart from their parents

1. Rent tax credit: points to check

• 2026 NTS guidance: total salary of 80 million won or less (global income of 70 million won or less), per the NTS press release of 23 January 2026. Some official FAQ pages may still show the old figure of 70 million won in total salary.
• Household members can qualify if the household head takes no housing-related deduction.
• Housing: national housing size (85㎡, 100㎡ in some areas) or smaller, or a standard price of 400 million won or less on the contract date. Officetels and gosiwon count.
• Lease name: the lease must be in your name or a basic-deduction dependant’s.
• Address match: your resident registration address must match the lease. A parent who lives elsewhere and pays rent on a child’s officetel cannot claim.
• Half-jeonse: the deduction for jeonse-loan repayments and the rent credit can both apply.
• Documents (give them to your employer at year-end settlement): resident registration copy, lease copy, and proof of payment (transfer receipts, deposit slips, cash receipts). The registration copy is free on Government24.
• Contact: NTS 126

2. Youth rent support: 2026 status

• Application window: 30 March 2026, 09:00 to 29 May, 16:00. The 2026 national application window has closed. It is not open all year, so check the current status and the next notice on Bokjiro or at your local community center; some local governments run their own programs.
• Age and residence: 19 to 34 (born 1991 to 2007), living apart from parents, homeless
• Income and assets
• Youth household: 60% of median income or less (about 1.54 million won a month for 1 person), assets of 122 million won or less
• Parents’ household: 100% of median income or less (about 5.36 million won a month for 3 people), assets of 470 million won or less

• If you are 30 or older, married, etc., only the youth household is checked.

• Support: up to 200,000 won a month within actual rent (excluding deposit and maintenance fees), for up to 24 payments, once in a lifetime. For 2026 new recipients, payments run until December 2028. Payments go back to May rent, with results and payments planned from September. About 60,000 people nationwide are covered. It is paid in cash to the young person’s own account.

• Not eligible:
• Homeowners (including presale or move-in rights)
• Renting from a relative within the second degree
• Public rental tenants
• Several people subletting one room
• People getting other ministry or local rent support (they can apply after it ends)

• Anyone who has already received all 24 payments

• Payments stop for: military enlistment, 90 or more days abroad, moving back in with parents, moving without filing a change

• How to apply: on Bokjiro online (after login) or at your local community service center.
• Documents: application form, income and asset report, lease, the last 3 months of rent transfers, bankbook copy, family relation certificate.

• Bokjiro and MyHome Portal offer a mock calculator.

• Contacts: Ministry 1599-0001, Bokjiro 1566-0313

Common mistakes

• Not registering your move-in, so your address differs from the lease
• Paying rent in cash with no proof
• Moving while on youth support without filing a change
• Assuming youth support is open all year

Checklist

• ☐ Registered address matches the lease address
• ☐ Floor area or standard price checked
• ☐ Rent transfer records saved
• ☐ On half-jeonse? Check the loan repayment deduction too
• ☐ Note when the next youth support notice comes out

Basic conditions and claiming past years are in our year-end tax correction claim guide.

We also have a $4.99 PDF guide that collects more everyday money-saving tips. Take a look if it’s useful →