[Shot!] Tax evasion Pumbaa… Wedding invitations sell for 1,000 won

Transaction of wedding invitations and wedding invitations in KakaoTalk open chat room
Utilizing evidence of congratulatory and condolence expenses… Falsely reported as ‘business promotion expenses’
Wedding photos, account numbers, etc. leaked... Violation of personal information protection laws
“Unauthorized posting of wedding invitations containing photos violates personal and portrait rights.”

"Does anyone have wedding invitations or wedding invitations for 2025? I buy them for 1,000 won each. Please chat 1:1."

This is a post posted on the 16th of last month in the KakaoTalk open chat room for ‘sharing information on family events and condolences’ with 1,400 people.

A wedding invitation that includes a wedding photo of the bride and groom is being sold for 1,000 won. A deputy certificate containing the resident's mobile phone number, family relationship, and account number is sold for 500 won.

This is to use it as proof of ‘false’ congratulatory or condolence expenses that show that congratulatory or condolence money was paid.

This is tax evasion and arbitrarily leaking other people's personal information, which is highly likely to be illegal.

Transactions are active ahead of comprehensive income tax reporting… “Purchased 400 copies”

On the 1st, when I searched for ‘sharing congratulations and condolences’ on KakaoTalk open chat, 18 related open chat rooms appeared. This is the so-called ‘open chat room for sharing information on family events and condolences.’

This is not a room for people who want to attend a wedding or funeral together. It is a space where people who have registered as a business share or buy and sell mobile wedding invitations and screenshots of wedding invitations to secure proof of congratulatory and condolence expenses for processing expenses.

From as few as 700 to as many as 1,400 people participated in each room. Each participant uploaded a photo of an obituary certificate or wedding invitation to provide proof. In some cases, information on congratulations and condolences for a specific year is requested.

Some are shared for free, but there are also cases where a 1:1 chat link is left for sale to encourage personal transactions.

In one open chat room, a notice was posted that anyone who did not share even a single piece of information about family events or condolences for a month would be 'exported'.

The reason why these ‘rooms’ appeared is because congratulatory money and additional money paid to business-related people, such as business partners, are classified as ‘business promotion expenses’ under tax law and can be treated as expenses if certain requirements are met.

Business promotion expenses are expenses incurred to maintain smooth relationships with external personnel related to the business, such as business partners and customers, and are widely recognized regardless of the reasons such as entertainment, social interaction, or gratuity.

Abusing this, wedding invitations and obituaries are being distributed online in large quantities without confirmation of actual payment of condolence and condolence expenses, as well as business relevance.

From the 17th to the end of last month, as a result of observing the open chat room of 'Sharing Congratulations, Condolences, and Wedding Invitations' with 1,400 people, more than 150 photos of wedding invitations and wedding invitations were shared. Illegal transactions are actively taking place ahead of this month’s comprehensive income tax return.

One user shared a compressed file titled ‘2025 Congratulations and Condolences Summary’ for free. When I downloaded the file, over 300 wedding invitations and funeral photos were saved.

When we inquired about the price from the operator of the open chat room titled '2025 Congratulations and Condolences Wedding Invitations for Sale at the Lowest Price', the reply was, "There is no problem in purchasing them at all. Depending on the quantity, we are offering from 800 to 600 won. I know that other people are selling them for around 1,000 won."

He added, “There are many people who purchase as little as 40, 100, or even 400 tickets every year.”

“Violation of the Personal Information Protection Act…Subject to claim for damages”

In order for family and condolence expenses to be recognized as business expenses, they must meet the requirements of ‘business relevance’ and ‘evidence’. Based on general small and medium-sized businesses, the basic limit for business expenses is 36 million won, and an additional limit is added depending on sales.

Tax accountant Cho Mun-gyo explained, "The requirements for tax treatment are 'whether it is related to business' and 'whether there is proof.'

If the one-time expenditure is less than 200,000 won, the cost can be processed without 'eligible proof' such as a credit card receipt or tax invoice.

Tax accountant Cho said, “If you have spent a congratulatory or condolence expense, it is difficult to receive a receipt from the other party due to social norms,” and “In practice, we handle the expenses only with wedding invitations and obituary notes, and this is a method that is generally recognized by tax authorities.”

However, if you cannot explain whether the congratulations or condolences are for a business partner or customer related to your business, it cannot be used as a basis for expense treatment.

Tax accountant Cho pointed out, "I have heard that business people sometimes share wedding invitations that they have collected to handle expenses. However, the main premise of expense processing is business relevance, and processing expenses for congratulations and condolences that are not related to one's business is an unfair way to reduce taxes."

He added, "If the expenditure on congratulations and condolences is excessive, you may be asked to explain during a tax audit. If you cannot explain the business connection, the expenses will be denied and taxes will be collected."

An official from the National Tax Service's corporate tax division also said, "Corporate business promotion expenses are classified as entertainment expenses, and the definition is clearly stated in the law as expenses for a corporation to conduct business smoothly with business-related people for business purposes. In fact, if it is detected even though it has no such (business) connection, of course it will not be recognized."

However, there are limits to detecting transactions that occur online.

An official from the National Tax Service said, "Even if you go into an open chat room and monitor it, it is realistically impossible to specify personal information because the people chatting do not use the real name of their company or company."

The problem of personal information leakage is also serious.

Lee (33), a bride-to-be who is getting married next month, said, "I sent a mobile wedding invitation to my acquaintances, but I'm worried that it might be passed around or traded in an open chat room like this." He added, "I feel uneasy because it contains not only the name and photo, but also the wedding venue location and time."

He added, “I sent it to congratulate you, but I feel uncomfortable that it could be used as information among complete strangers.”

Attorney Kim Dae-su of Daeryun Law Firm explained, "Wedding invitations and wedding invitations were sent for the purpose of informing a specific recipient of a congratulatory or condolence event," and added, "If they are shared or sold to an unspecified number of people in an open chat room, it may be a violation of the Personal Information Protection Act."

He continued, "Specifically, there is a high possibility that it will be a violation of the regulations prohibiting the act of divulging personal information learned in the course of work, or the prohibition of providing or receiving personal information for commercial or fraudulent purposes."

Attorney Kim warned, "Posting a wedding invitation containing a photo of the parties without consent may be a violation of personality rights or portrait rights," and added, "Even if there are no direct criminal punishment provisions, you may be subject to a civil claim for damages."

minjik@yna.co.kr
 

Minji Kang (minjik@yna.co.kr)

[View full article]
Yonhap News - [Shot!] Tax evasion worker... Wedding invitations sell for 1,000 won (link)
SBS - "Will anyone sell anything, deputy chief?"... 1,400 people chat room ‘Juljul’ (Shortcut)