Ministry of SMEs and Startups and National Tax Service link growth and tax support for 2,559 AI companies

Excluded from regular tax audit selection within 5 years of founding… R&D/commercialization support

(Seoul = Yonhap News) Reporter Koo Jeong-mo = The Ministry of SMEs and Startups and the National Tax Service announced on the 11th that they will provide technology development and commercialization support and tax support to 2,559 artificial intelligence (AI) small and medium-sized enterprises and startups.

This support is a follow-up measure to the ‘Business Agreement to Support the Growth of AI Small and Medium-sized Startups’ signed by the two organizations in December last year.

When the Ministry of SMEs and Startups discovers AI companies with high growth potential and supports research and development (R&D), commercialization, finance, start-ups, and overseas expansion, the National Tax Service provides tax support to those companies.

The Ministry of SMEs and Startups shared with the National Tax Service the list of companies that participated in 20 projects this year, including commercialization of AI application products, AI/artificial intelligence conversion (AX) preferential guarantee, AI-based smart factory, deep tech start-up support, and global accelerator.

The National Tax Service has decided to provide these companies with ▲ minimal tax verification ▲ prior review of tax credits for research and human resources development expenses and priority processing of corporate tax deduction/reduction consulting ▲ liquidity support such as extension of payment deadlines and early payment of refunds ▲ tax consulting exclusively for AI companies.

In particular, AI startups within 5 years of founding are excluded from regular tax audit selection, and other AI small and medium-sized businesses are deferred from regular tax audits for 2 years from the scheduled date of commencement of tax audits upon taxpayer application.

Additionally, companies that are not clearly suspected of evasion are excluded from verification of reported information.

The tax support period is from the 1st of this month to February 28, 2028.

Lim Kwang-hyun, Commissioner of the National Tax Service, emphasized, "As AI small and medium-sized businesses and startups are core companies that will lead technological innovation and the creation of future growth engines, it is important to create an environment where companies can focus on research and development and business by reducing tax difficulties experienced during the growth process."

Minister of SMEs and Startups Lee So-young said, "The competitiveness of the AI ​​industry depends on creating an environment where startups with innovative technologies and ideas can grow quickly. Through this collaboration, the Ministry of SMEs and Startups' support for technology development (R&D, commercialization, finance, and global expansion) and the National Tax Service's tax support will be organically connected to create a foundation for promising AI small and medium-sized companies and startups to focus more on technology development and growth."