Israeli Taxes on salaried employees are outrageous. This is no secret. It has been that way since the bulsheviks started running the new state in 1948, and maybe even before that. Since we live in the only Democrapic (from the word crap – there’s lot’s of it folks !) country in the middle-east, where everyone who has the opportunity dips his hands into the public pot, we as the employed end up footing the bill.
Overloaded, unproductive, non-service oriented people fill up the ranks in government positions, the waste is unbelievable and wouldn’t be tolerated for a second in a competitive, commercial company.
We all have this "unseen partner" (the tax authority) who we are unwillingly obligated by law to share our pay check with.
While these are the facts of life in Israel and corruption seems to be as common as buses at the central bus station, the one thing you can do is understand how the taxes are configured and double-check your pay slip. Even the most sophisticated computer systems have glitches.
If you understand the way it’s done you can help yourself by checking your pay slip each month before you file it or throw it in a drawer.
Here are several pointers to look for when checking your payslip:
1. Marital status and number of children under 19
2. Indication of any special tax benefits that you are entitled to: tax credits for Oleh, prefered area for some regions of the country, invalid status
3. Make sure any social benefits you recieve are listed on your pay slip.
4. Vacation balance (including monthly acrual)
Remember ! It’s your pay check so you should be the most interested party in making sure it’s correct, it’s the least you can do for yourself.
good luck !
Moshe Egel-Tal, CSPP
Founder and CEO, Israpay "making payroll simple"
Site: http://www.israpay.com
Email: mo***********@***il.com
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