Last Updated on October 25, 2021

The Israel ‘Working Tax Grant’ for salaried employees – everything you need to know.

By: Binyamin Radomsky, CPA (Isr), FCA (UK)

The Employment Grant Program (previously named “negative income tax” or “working tax grant”) is intended to encourage participation in the workforce for low income earners, to increase the disposable income of those employed at the lower income brackets and to reduce income inequality.

In April 2017, eligibility for the grant was expanded by Finance Minister Moshe Kahlon.

Who is eligible for the working tax grant?

The law applies to any salaried employee or self-employed person whose earned income or whose income from a business or profession in the 2017 tax year met all three of the following criteria:

1. You are 23 years of age and you have children, or you are aged 55 or more, including without children.
2. At any time in the 2017 tax year, besides a single housing unit, you and/or your spouse, or your child, who is financially dependent on you, separately or together, did not own real estate rights (such as: an apartment, a store, a plot of land etc.) inside or outside Israel, where your share in its ownership exceeds 50%.
3. If one of the two applies to you:
   1. You have one or two children, or you have no dependents but 55 or older: The result from dividing all your earned income and/or your income from a business and/or from a profession in the 2017 tax year, by your actual number of work months (as a salaried employee or as being self-employed, but not more than 12 months) in that year, was higher than NIS 2,060 and lower than NIS 6,141.
   2. You have three or more children: The result from dividing all your earned income and/or your income from a business and/or from a profession in the 2017 tax year, by your actual number of work months (as a salaried employee or as being self-employed, but not more than 12 months) in that year, was higher than NIS 2,060 and lower than NIS 6,750.

Note: Individuals must file their own claim to the working tax grant. It is not possible to file a claim for a third person, not even when presenting an identification card of that person and/or a power of attorney and/or any other document testifying to his right to representation. This also applies to husband and wife, who must apply separately.

• Meches – The Israel Tax Authority
• Bituach Leumi – National Insurance Institute
• Banking, finances and money management for Olim

How to claim the the tax grant

To receive the working tax grant, a claim needs to be filed. The grant claim for the 2017 tax year must be filed no later than September 30, 2018. Income tax filings must be up to date prior to filing for the grant.

A self-employed and/or salaried employee who is required to submit a report to the income tax authorities, or whose spouse is required to submit such a report must have filed the annual report no later than July 31, 2018, or by the due date given in an extension to file.

A report No. 126/856 has been submitted by the employer for the 2017 tax year no later than May 31, 2018.

Previous recipients of the grant can file claims online (Hebrew only). The working tax grant will be deposited into the account on file with the Tax Authority.

First-time applicants (or applicants who were not approved for a prior grant) must file in person at the Israel Post Office, providing both their ID card and either a canceled check or official letter from the bank stating there is an account in their name to receive the grant. You will be asked to provide details on:

1. Number of employers (including housekeeping employers, excluding pension) you and/or your spouse have had during the 2017 tax year.
2. Whether you were self-employed during the 2017 tax year.
3. Mailing address.
4. The details of the bank account to which the grant will be deposited.

A form will be generated with the relevant information. The upper section is yours and confirms you filed for the grant. You must retain this claim form and claim number to receive information about the status of your grant claim.

Please note that this article serves as a guideline only.  We suggest you consult Binyamin Radomsky, CPA (Isr), FCA (UK) at Aboulafia for the most up-to-date information.  More here

Contacting the Israel Tax Authority for information relating to the Working Tax Grant

For inquiries concerning work grants, please contact the call center: *4954 or 1-222-4954 or 02-5656400 or email manak@taxes.gov.il