Collector or Reporter? Korea’s VAT for Platforms and Offshore Electronic Service Suppliers

This article aims to provide a consolidated overview of the reporting obligations applicable to offshore electronic service suppliers and digital platforms within Korea’s VAT compliance framework. It examines the regime when platform operators may be treated as suppliers; clarifies the scope, triggering requirements and timeline; distinguishes B2C from B2B transactions; and explains the limited reverse-charge mechanism applicable to VAT-exempt recipients. The discussion also covers recent extensions of reporting duty to bulletin board services and offshore platforms that mediate services supplied by domestic sellers. Finally, the article offers a comparative perspective, highlighting areas of convergence and divergence with the European Union’s MOSS regime and deemed supplier rules.