법인등록번호 vs 사업자등록번호: which number is which
Updated
Ask a Korean company for “your registration number” and you may get either of two, issued by different authorities for different purposes. Confusing them wastes time, and one of them cannot be verified against tax records at all.
| 사업자등록번호 | 법인등록번호 | |
|---|---|---|
| Length | 10 digits | 13 digits |
| Format | 123-45-67890 | 123456-1234567 |
| Issued by | National Tax Service | Court registry (등기소) |
| Exists for | Tax administration | Corporate legal identity |
| Who has one | Every business, including sole traders | Incorporated companies only |
The 10-digit tax number is the one you want
For checking whether a counterparty is real and trading, the 사업자등록번호 is the useful number. It appears on invoices and tax documents, every business has one, and it can be verified against National Tax Service records.
It is also the number that carries trading status. Whether a business is active, suspended or closed is a fact attached to its tax registration, not to its corporate registry entry.
The 13-digit number identifies the legal entity
The 법인등록번호 is assigned when a company is incorporated and recorded in the commercial register. It stays with the legal person for its lifetime and is what you would use to pull the company’s registry extract — its directors, capital, registered office and corporate history.
Sole traders do not have one. If a counterparty cannot give you a 13-digit number, that is not evasive — it usually means you are dealing with an individual rather than a company, which the middle digits of their tax number will also tell you. See the number structure guide.
What to ask for
- For routine verification: the 사업자등록증, which carries the 10-digit number along with the opening date and representative’s name
- For serious due diligence on a corporation: also the 법인등기부등본, the registry extract, which shows directors, capital and any changes of control
The 10-digit number is the one this checker verifies.
Check a number