ISA 납입한도·만기연장 ‘유지’ 검토…고소득자 부당 세제혜택 거른다

The Korean government is reviewing a proposal to maintain the current ISA deposit limit, endless tenure, and unchanged tax benefits, while separately addressing high-earning individuals who benefit unfairly from tax advantages. According to the Ministry of Finance, the government plans to maintain the existing deposit limit and endless tenure arrangement for ISA, but implement a separate approach to exclude those who unfairly enjoy tax benefits.

The reform proposal, announced one month ago, faced backlash in the market as investors feared the benefits of the ISA would be reduced. After entering the ISA for three years, a person could extend the tenure indefinitely, take advantage of zero-tax and low-tax income, and enjoy compounding interest and taxation effects. However, the proposal now limits the tenure to a maximum of five years and taxes tax annually at each tenure, which is inconvenient for those who save money.

The government also considered excluding high-income individuals who earn more than 2 million won in total financial income from the tax benefits, but found this disadvantageous for those who are short on money. The government aims to improve the situation by improving the tax treatment for financial income. High-income individuals who enter the ISA after becoming high-income earners can continue to receive tax benefits without a separate review process.

The government is considering reviewing the eligibility for tax benefits at any time, even after long-term ISA tenure. However, the government plans to maintain the current deposit limit and tenure length for the ISA, while admitting that the newly created "Productive Financial ISA" is likely to be adjusted. This new ISA product allows investors to enjoy tax-free gains from investments in domestic stocks, domestic stock funds, and the National Growth Fund.

While the plan to maintain the same tenure as the regular ISA (5 years) for the new ISA is more favorable, the government believes that extending the 'endless tenure' option is not in line with the design of the new ISA.