Last year, high-bandwidth memory (HBM) technology was added to the national strategic technology, and now the scope has been expanded to include materials, parts, and equipment (substitutes) related to HBM. The previous scope of national strategic technology was limited to the design and manufacturing of HBM, allowing only large semiconductor companies like SK hynix and Samsung Electronics to receive tax benefits. With this revision of the enforcement ordinance, the scope now includes substitutes, allowing mid-sized and small partner companies to receive tax support as well. Tax support for the development of hydrogen production systems based on ammonia fuel, which are gaining attention as a next-generation ship power source, will also be expanded.
According to the '2024 revised tax law follow-up enforcement ordinance amendment' announced by the Ministry of Strategy and Finance on the 16th, the scope of national strategic technology that provides tax credit benefits for R&D investment has been expanded.
The number of specific technologies included in the national strategic technology in the semiconductor, secondary battery, display, and hydrogen sectors has increased.
In semiconductors, 3D stacked semiconductor design, manufacturing, and related new material development technologies have been added. Additionally, HBM has been included in the field of design and manufacturing technology of substitutes related to next-generation memory semiconductors. In the high-performance micro sensor design, manufacturing, and packaging technology, HDR (High Dynamic Range) has been added. HDR refers to image processing processors that adjust brightness deviations in displays to make them more visible to the human eye.
In secondary batteries, high-purity metal compound manufacturing and processing technology for cathode materials, as well as 'hybrid cover window material technology' and 'micro LED substitutes technology' for displays, will be added. In the hydrogen sector, hydrogen processing bioenergy production technology has been newly added.
When advanced technology is designated as national strategic technology, small and medium-sized enterprises can receive a tax credit of 40-50%, while mid-sized and large enterprises can receive 30-40%.
New growth and fundamental technologies that can provide tax credits of 30-40% for small and medium-sized enterprises and 20-30% for mid-sized and large enterprises have been expanded to include hydrogen and energy technologies for climate crisis response. Tax support for ammonia fuel-based hydrogen production systems for ships, fuel cell application technologies, and ammonia decomposition-based clean hydrogen production technologies for hydrogen gas turbine combined cycle power generation, as well as design technologies for green hydrogen production marine platforms, will also be expanded.
Additionally, cloud usage fees for expanding support for artificial intelligence (AI) research and development have been included as R&D tax credit targets. Rental fees for research facilities, which were previously excluded from the R&D tax credit targets in the fields of national strategic technology and new growth and fundamental technology, as well as the costs of software rental and purchase (excluding general-purpose software for office use), will now also be added as tax credit targets.
The criteria for income tax reduction for excellent foreign talent have also been clarified. The government last September decided to provide a 50% income tax reduction benefit for 10 years after the initial work commencement for excellent foreign talent. The recent enforcement ordinance specifies the target as 'those who have graduated with a master's or doctoral degree from a global TOP 100 engineering school and have at least eight years of work experience, including three years in a global excellent company.'
Furthermore, the period for tariff reductions on imported capital goods for foreign investments will be extended. The current system stipulates that the tariff, excise tax, and value-added tax reduction period for capital goods imported for foreign investment purposes is a maximum of six years, but this period has been extended to seven years by allowing an additional two years on the basic five.