Gunpo City to Send Kakao Notifications on October 21 for Unclaimed Local Tax Refunds: Filing Guide

Verified Facts and Reports

According to a report by Gyeonggi Domin Ilbo Media, Gunpo City announced on October 19, 2026, that it will send mobile notification messages via Kakao Alimtalk on October 21 to help citizens claim uncollected local tax refunds for the second half of the year. This mobile notification initiative follows a similar effort in the first half of the year, designed to assist taxpayers who were unaware of their refunds or missed the application window. Taxpayers who receive the notification can promptly check their uncollected tax categories and exact refund amounts through a simple identity verification process.

The city provided multiple application channels for claiming refunds, including the KakaoTalk channel (Gunpo City Local Tax Refund Application), Wetax, phone inquiry (031-390-0197), and direct in-person visits to the city's Tax Source Management Division. Furthermore, a city official explained that taxpayers who have registered their local tax refund accounts in advance can receive prompt deposits directly into their designated bank accounts without completing separate application procedures whenever future refunds arise.

Donpoong Perspective

Local tax refunds frequently occur due to vehicle ownership transfers or scrapping following the advance annual payment of automobile taxes, as well as tax adjustments stemming from national income tax revisions affecting local income tax. Paper notices delivered by postal mail often fail to reach recipients due to address discrepancies or loss, making mobile notification messages from local governments a practical measure for protecting taxpayer rights.

However, refund notices delivered via mobile messaging always carry the risk of being exploited by smishing and phishing schemes. Therefore, before clicking any links within notification messages, households must exercise financial safety precautions, such as verifying the official sender certification badge or checking directly through the certified Wetax system or the tax department of their local government jurisdiction.

Practical Application and Checkpoints

The practical sequence of actions for readers begins with checking whether the received notification aligns with their local tax assessment history. Next, taxpayers should complete the mobile identity verification or log into the official portal, Wetax, to directly look up any dormant refunds. Once eligible refund amounts are confirmed, taxpayers should select a convenient filing channel among Wetax, the KakaoTalk channel, telephone inquiry (031-390-0197), or an in-person visit to the Tax Source Management Division to request bank account deposit. Finally, to eliminate repetitive administrative steps for future refunds, registering a designated refund bank account in advance on Wetax is strongly advised.

There are also clear limitations to consider. This notification dispatch is restricted exclusively to taxpayers under the jurisdiction of Gunpo City and does not automatically apply to residents of other local governments. Additionally, taxpayers who have not registered a refund bank account in advance must complete identity verification and submit a separate claim before the actual funds can be refunded.

Sources and Reference Date

• Reference Date: 2026-10-20
• Source: Gyeonggi Domin Ilbo Media (Published on 2026-10-19, https://www.kgdm.co.kr/news/articleView.html?idxno=2015799)