South Korea’s National Tax Service will for the first time calculate the more favorable comprehensive real estate holding tax treatment for married couples jointly owning one home, notify affected taxpayers and proactively identify past overpayments for refund. The agency identified about 5,700 taxpayers who benefit from applying for the special exception and about 2,900 existing applicants who benefit from canceling it. Taxpayers can apply or cancel the exception from the 16th through the 30th of this month, and the more favorable amount will be reflected automatically in the regular November assessment. The special exception allows a 1.2 billion won deduction and credits tied to age and ownership period, while separate assessment gives each spouse a 900 million won basic deduction. Which method is preferable depends on the home’s assessed value, the owners’ ages and their holding period.