Tium Mas, Osek Zair, Unemployment benefits

Here’s a question someone sent me, instead of asking him to post it here and only then responding to it on this blog, I an cutting the bureaucracy and posting it directly. Your comments appreciated:-)

—–Original Message—–

Sent: Thursday, July 08, 2010 11:42 PM

Subject: tax status query

shalom,

i came across your very interesting and helpful website through a google search.

>>thank you shucks:-)

i was hoping that you may be able to answer a question that i have. once in a while, i do freelance work as a translator and recently i was asked to do some for someone working at an institution that requires me to provide a to’em mas.

>>that would be a ti-um mas

the issue is that i am officially listed with bitu’ah le’umi as ‘unemployed’ because i do not work and i have no income. (i likewise receive a significant discount on arnona, as a result.)

since this is a short-term engagement and i do not expect to receive much money (at most maybe NIS 10 000, probably much less)

>>this is NOT a small amount of money! If you would have said 100 NIS or even 500 NIS, then maybe…

, (1) how do i provide a to’em mas? (is it by following the steps mentioned above, namely, becoming an oved za’ir?)

>>If you are currently listed as a lo-oved, collecting bituach leumi unemployment benefits, then as far as I know, you cannot work for money at all to make it worth your while. I thought otherwise myself once, even asked the clerk at the bituach leumi desk, probably misunderstood her, and ended up eating the rotten fish, getting smacked, and being exiled from the city.

if so, (2) how does this affect my status as ‘unemployed’, since i will essentially still be unemployed after this is finished?

>>I would suggest that if you want to continue collecting unemployment benefits (which as far as I remember last no longer than six months anyway) then do so.

But if you can hustle up some 10K jobs, even 300 NIS jobs, open up a tik and get to work! See other posts on this blog for how-to’s.

Again, others might encourage you otherwise, but I would strongly not try to dance at two weddings here.

all of this is very new to me, so i would appreciate greatly any thoughts you may have.

thanks so much,

david