[Exclusive] Tax platforms have refunded 770 billion won, but user safeguards remain inadequate

[Financial News] Nearly 4 million people have received tax refunds through private tax platforms such as Ssamzzomssam and Toss Income, part of the so-called “tax tech” sector. The refunds they received totaled nearly 770 billion won. But as private tax platforms become part of people’s everyday lives by offering convenience, cases of platforms charging fees of 40% or more are also mounting, prompting calls for stronger user safeguards.
According to data obtained from the National Tax Service (NTS) by Ahn Sang-hoon, a People Power Party lawmaker on the National Assembly Planning and Finance Committee, 3,956,340 users received tax refunds through the private tax platforms Ssamzzomssam and Toss Income in 2025. They received a total of 767.8 billion won, or about 194,000 won per person.
During the same period, Toss Income paid out 403.5 billion won in refunds to 2.07 million people, while Ssamzzomssam refunded 364.3 billion won to 1.88 million people. In 2025, Toss Income recorded revenue of 62.3 billion won and Ssamzzomssam 83.8 billion won. Toss Income’s revenue, in particular, rose sharply, from 600 million won in 2023 to 34.1 billion won in 2024.
The tax tech industry is increasing its user base year after year by offering considerable convenience. However, complaints have emerged from users who, among other things, faced fees of 40% or more or applied for refunds after seeing ads promising “You can get your money back,” only to find they had to pay additional taxes instead. At an NTS audit on the 13th, Ahn Sang-hoon cited a case in which someone received a refund of 6.17 million won but was charged a fee of 2.17 million won. Ahn said, “When they put off paying, saying they hadn’t received prior notice, they were told they would owe late interest of 12% a year, received a payment order and even had their bank account seized.”
Concerns have also been raised that it is unclear who is responsible when tax filings contain errors. Private tax platforms are not legal representatives, so users are held responsible if problems arise. There are also concerns that users’ tax information could be leaked from private platforms. In response, Ssamzzomssam said it operates a “Safe Refund Compensation Program,” which includes advance notice of fees, payment after a refund is received, and fee refunds in the event of filing errors. Toss Income said it operates an “Additional Tax Assessment Compensation Program,” with advance notice of fees, payment after the refund, and compensation for additional amounts owed.
Ahn stressed, “As tax platforms make it easier for people to file tax returns and receive refunds, they should provide clearer information about fees in keeping with the size of their user base and also strengthen user protections, including post-service accountability and personal information protection.”
[email protected] Lee Hae-ram Reporter