By Kim Sung-jin
Staff Reporter


The government has decided to set up an immigration desk exclusively for exemplary taxpayers as part of a move to provide incentives for paying taxes faithfully.

The National Tax Service (NTS) and the Ministry of Justice said Monday that the customs authority will today establish the faithful taxpayer exclusive immigration desk at the Incheon International Airport for more swift and convenient immigration check services.

Only people who received the ``Best Taxpayer Card’’ are eligible to use the faithful taxpayer immigration desk.

People who hold the Best Taxpayer Card don’t have to wait in long lines for the immigration check prior to departures or entries.

Last year, the NTS issued the Best Taxpayer Card to 252 exemplary taxpayers _ individuals who paid more than 100 million in income taxes in 2004, CEOs of corporations that paid 1 billion won or more in corporate taxes in 2004 or those who earned accumulative tax payment mileage of more than 50,000 points in the past five years.

To earn 50,000 points in tax payment mileage, one has to pay 1 billion won or more in taxes annually for five years.

``The NTS arranged the faithful taxpayer exclusive immigration desk at the airport as part of efforts to consolidate a culture in which faithful taxpayers earn respect from the society and receive greater benefits and incentives,’’ an NTS official said.

Meanwhile, the Pusan Regional Tax Office also granted the Best Taxpayer Card to 41 faithful taxpayers yesterday.

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Finance and Economy (MOFE) and the Korean Federation of Banks (KFB) said Monday that high income earners who intentionally default in their bills to the national pension plan or to national health insurance will be given handicaps in borrowing money from banks.

The MOFE said it is pursuing revision of related laws to place handicaps on habitual national pension plan and national health insurance bill defaulters to allow banks to look into financial assets of taxpayers through the KFB’s database network.

sjkim@koreatimes.co.kr