내년 법인세 사상 첫 200조원 넘길 듯…15년 만에 소득세 추월도

In just one year's time, corporate income tax revenue is expected to surpass personal income tax revenue for the first time in 15 years, according to projections from the Ministry of Finance. This surge in corporate tax income is primarily attributed to the recent semiconductor boom, which led to a record-high of 200 trillion won in corporate tax collections.

The Ministry's budget forecast for next year shows 216.7 trillion won in corporate tax revenue, a doubling from this year's forecast of 101.3 trillion won. This represents an increase of 36.7 trillion won compared to the current year's personal income tax projection of 180 trillion won. This marks the first time since 2012 that corporate tax revenue has exceeded personal income tax revenue.

Prior to this, corporate tax collected slightly more than personal income tax in 2014. However, corporate tax revenue has fluctuated widely over the years, ranging from a low of 42.7 trillion won in 2014 to the projected 216.7 trillion won next year. Meanwhile, personal income tax revenue has steadily increased each year, largely due to factors such as GDP growth, rising asset prices, and increasing employment.

The increase in personal income tax revenue is projected to grow by 31.6% compared to this year's budget of 136.8 trillion won. The government's strategy for managing the increased revenue is to allocate it to a contingency fund for future use, rather than spending it all at once. This approach aims to improve financial stability.

Speaking at a KDI research forum on November 11th, KDI Senior Research Fellow Itaek noted that this approach allows the country to "store sufficient resources during prosperity to absorb shocks and foster growth investments and future assets." However, he cautioned that "the fund can be a double-edged sword, potentially leading to fragmented spending and misuse of discretion, necessitating efforts to mitigate its limitations and concerns."