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Korean Lotto Tax Calculator

Enter a prize and see the tax taken off it, and what actually reaches your account.

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Foreigners can buy a ticket and claim a prize

Donghaeng Lottery is the operator appointed by the Lottery Commission. Its own guidance says a foreigner may buy a ticket. It also says a foreign winner may collect the prize.
What people worry aboutHow it actually works
Do I need to be a Korean national?No. Tickets are sold over the counter and nobody checks nationality
Will they refuse to pay me?No. The operator states that a foreign winner can collect the prize
What ID works?The identity document you already hold, such as a residence card or a passport
Does the tax differ for me?Only if you are a non-resident. Residency decides it, not your passport

Buying and collecting are settled questions. The part that actually changes with who you are is the tax rate.

Three bands, not one rate

PrizeTaxWhat that means
2,000,000 won or lessNoneThis sits below the tax-free threshold, so the full amount is paid out
Above 2,000,000 up to 300,000,000 won22%20% other income tax plus 2% local income tax
The part above 300,000,000 won33%30% other income tax plus 3% local income tax, on that part only

The bands stack. A large prize is not taxed at 33% from the first won, which is why the effective rate lands between the two.

Example
  • First 300,000,000 at 22%66,000,000 won
  • Remaining 1,700,000,000 at 33%561,000,000 won
  • Total tax627,000,000 won
  • You take home1,373,000,000 won

How you actually collect it

Prize sizeWhere you collectWhat to bring
Small prizesAny licensed lottery shopThe winning ticket
Mid-size prizesA branch of NH Nonghyup BankThe winning ticket and photo ID
First prizeThe NH Nonghyup Bank head office onlyThe winning ticket and photo ID

A residence card or a passport works as photo ID. Prizes are paid net of tax, so the transfer you receive is the after-tax figure.

You have one year from the draw to claim. Leaving the ticket in a drawer past that means the prize is forfeited, however large.

Tax resident or not changes the rate

Tax residentNon-resident
Who countsYou keep a home in Korea, or you have been here 183 days or more in the tax yearEveryone else, including visitors who bought a ticket while travelling
Rate on a prizeThe three bands above, exactly as for a Korean nationalSet by the tax treaty between Korea and your country of residence
Do you file in May?No. The tax is taken at payout and that closes itNo. The withholding at payout closes it as well
Where to confirmThe operator or the National Tax ServiceThe operator, before you travel home

Residency is the test, not nationality. A foreign worker who has lived here a year is taxed on a prize like any other resident.

Collecting after you have left Korea is not something we can confirm from published guidance. Ask the operator's customer centre before you plan around it.

FAQ ❓

Yes. Donghaeng Lottery, the operator appointed by the Lottery Commission, states that a foreigner may buy a ticket and may collect the prize if it wins. Tickets are sold over the counter at licensed shops and nationality is not checked.
The identity document you already carry works: a residence card for a foreign resident, or a passport. Bring the winning ticket itself, since the ticket is the claim. Small prizes are paid at licensed shops, larger ones at NH Nonghyup Bank, and the first prize at its head office.
A prize of 2,000,000 won or less is below the tax-free threshold and is paid in full. Above that and up to 300,000,000 won, 22% is taken, made up of 20% other income tax and 2% local income tax. Only the part above 300,000,000 won is taxed at 33%.
No. Lottery winnings are taxed separately at the moment of payout, and that closes the matter. The prize does not go into your May annual return and it does not push your other income into a higher band.
Not if it is 2,000,000 won or less. That is the tax-free threshold, so the whole amount is handed over. This is why the five-thousand-won prizes people collect at a shop arrive intact.
Yes. For a non-resident, the withholding rate is set by the tax treaty between Korea and the country you live in, rather than by the domestic bands. The operator applies it at payout, so ask them what your rate will be before you count on a figure.
There is a claim period, and a ticket left past it is forfeited. Published guidance does not clearly cover claiming from outside the country, so contact the operator's customer centre rather than assuming it can be done remotely.

Sources 🌐