The Supreme Court of Korea ruled that fresh flower decorations supplied at hotel wedding venues are a provision of services, not a supply of goods, and therefore subject to VAT. The ruling overturned a lower court decision that had treated the decorations as exempt unprocessed agricultural products. As a result, the tax office assessed significant VAT amounts for Josun Hotel & Resort for 2018.
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Asia Business Daily · 6 months ago
South Korea’s National Tax Service has introduced a new filing requirement for VAT‑exempt business owners, including YouTubers, drivers, and delivery riders. All such owners must submit an annual business operation status report by February 10, 2025, and will receive mobile notifications starting on the 21st of the reporting month. The rule expands guidance to one‑person media creators and sets a 24 million won income threshold for certain personal service providers.
Bloomberg Tax · 6 months ago
The South Korean National Tax Service released a press statement outlining new VAT filing and payment deadlines. The main deadlines are Jan. 26 for filing and paying returns for the July–December 2025 period, and March 26 for an extended payment deadline for certain SMEs. Simplified taxpayers and businesses facing financial difficulties also receive automatic or optional extensions.
VATCalc · about 21 hours ago
China is expanding its mandatory e-fapiao VAT invoice pilot, phasing out paper invoices in 2026. Regional tax authorities now require businesses to issue digital invoices through government platforms. The move follows the nationwide rollout of fully digital e-fapiao from 1 December 2024.
Orbitax · 2 days ago
Sri Lanka has enacted VAT amendments affecting digital services supplied by non-residents and raising the VAT rate on financial services.
BusinessWorld · 2 days ago
Philippines: The Court of Tax Appeals upheld the denial of Zuellig Pharma Asia Pacific Ltd's P59.81-million VAT refund claim after finding the company failed to meet documentary requirements. The court ruled that the lack of certificates of inward remittance for P2.88 million of zero-rated sales and non-compliant official receipts made the claim fatal.
BusinessWorld · 2 days ago
Philippines: Deloitte Philippines highlights that e-invoicing could curb corruption by improving tax transaction transparency, but notes the government’s limited tech capacity and lack of clear guidance as key challenges. Revenue Regulations No. 11-2025 set a March 2026 deadline for covered taxpayers to issue electronic invoices, later extended to 31 December 2026 by RR No. 26-2025.
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Key Takeaways
The Court ruled that they are a provision of services, not a supply of goods, and therefore subject to VAT.
The tax office assessed 97.85881 million won for the first half and 56.6051 million won for the second half of 2018.
They are considered incidental to wedding services and not exempt as unprocessed agricultural products.
They must treat the decorations as part of the wedding service and charge VAT accordingly.
Primary source
Read the full article at Seoul Economic DailyThis summary was published on VATfaqs.com on 24 May 2026. It relates to VAT developments in South Korea. The original source is Seoul Economic Daily.
