NTS-Commissioned Report Says Crypto Staking Rewards Should Face 22% Tax

A report commissioned by South Korea’s National Tax Service said crypto staking rewards should be included in the tax system as the government moves ahead with virtual-asset taxation next year.

Maeil Business Newspaper reported on May 28 that the Industry-Academic Cooperation Foundation at Changwon National University, in its final report titled "A Study on the Scope of Virtual Asset Taxation and Calculation Methods," classified crypto staking as lending under the current income tax law. That means staking rewards would be subject to tax. The foundation conducted the five-month study from November 2025 through March 2026 at the request of the National Tax Service.

The report said staking, in which an investor locks up control and management rights over virtual assets on a blockchain network for a certain period in exchange for compensation, fits the definition of lending because it involves providing property for a return. It proposed taxing staking rewards at 22%, with income assessed based on the fair market value of the virtual assets when they are received.

The Changwon National University foundation also concluded that crypto lending should be classified as lending under the tax code. It said the appropriate approach would be to tax income when lending fees are received. If the government adopts the proposal, lending income would also be taxed at 22%.

By contrast, the report said airdrops and hard forks do not qualify as transfers or lending under the current income tax law and could be treated as acquisitions without consideration. It said they should not be taxed because it is difficult to identify a specific donor and recipient.

The government has said it will proceed as planned from January 2027 with taxation on annual crypto gains exceeding 2.5 million won ($1,810).