대한민국 · 사업자등록번호
Korea BRN Format Checker
Check that a Korean Business Registration Number (사업자등록번호) has the correct 10-digit format — and see what its middle digits mean.
What is a Korean Business Registration Number?
A Business Registration Number (사업자등록번호, BRN) is the 10-digit number the National Tax Service gives each place of business when it registers, written XXX-XX-XXXXX — for example 124-81-00998 for Samsung Electronics. The middle two digits show the business type, and the last digit acts as a check digit (the NTS does not publish the formula).
Korean BRN format
Three digits, a two-digit type code, four digits and a check digit.
(81 = company HQ)
Example: 124-81-00998 (삼성전자 Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd., as printed on its website).
- 10 digits: Written XXX-XX-XXXXX; hyphens are optional when entering.
- Type code: 01–79 and 90–99 are individuals; 81, 86, 87, 88 company head offices; 85 company branches; 82 non-profit corporations.
- Format check only: This checker confirms the format. It does not query the NTS, so it cannot show status or a name.
- Not a BRN: A 13-digit 법인등록번호 or a personal resident registration number is a different identifier. Never enter a personal resident registration number here.
How to check a Korean BRN
- 1 Find the 사업자등록번호 on the supplier’s tax invoice (세금계산서) or website footer.
- 2 Enter the 10 digits above. The checker confirms the format.
- 3 To confirm the business is active, use the NTS Hometax business status lookup (사업자상태조회).
- 4 Find links to official lookups in our official database guide.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I check whether a Korean business is active? (사업자 상태조회)
The National Tax Service’s free business status lookup (사업자상태조회, on Hometax and as an open API) shows whether a 10-digit BRN is active, suspended or closed — with the closure date — and its VAT taxpayer type. Our checker confirms the format only.
What do the middle two digits of a Korean BRN mean?
They show the type of business: 01–79 for VAT-taxable individuals, 90–99 for VAT-exempt individuals, 81, 86, 87 and 88 for for-profit company head offices, 85 for for-profit company branches and 82 for non-profit corporations.
Does a BRN lookup show the company name?
No. The public status lookup shows only status and tax type. Matching a name requires the NTS authenticity check, which also needs the business opening date and the representative’s name.
What is the difference between 사업자등록번호 and 법인등록번호?
The 사업자등록번호 (BRN) has 10 digits, is issued by the district tax office and is used on tax invoices and returns. The 법인등록번호 (corporate registration number) has 13 digits and is issued by the court registry when a company is incorporated.
Does a Korean BRN have a check digit?
In practice, yes: the 10th digit. The NTS does not publish the formula; the widely used weighted check (1, 3, 7, 1, 3, 7, 1, 3, 5) matches live numbers, and the often-used sample 123-45-67890 fails it.
Does each branch have its own BRN?
Yes. Each place of business registers separately and receives its own BRN, unless the business has opted for business-unit taxation.
Last reviewed: , against official sources.
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