Series: Financial Assistance in Israel (Part 5)

It's been a while since I worked on this series, but I realized there was a big piece I left out, so I wanted to fill you in today about it.

Be sure to check out the other installments in this series:

Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
Part 4

Today, I'm going to give you the basics of one that many people already know about, but some don't: Arnona Discounts.

Misrad Hapnim has some say in Arnona rates and discounts, and all the various discounts are listed on their website. You can see them here, in the original Hebrew.

There are a lot of different categories, including Holocaust survivors, People with Disabilities, Former Refuseniks, Righteous Gentiles, Senior Citizens, and more. Today I am going to focus on the "Low Income" category. (Family size/income levels/discount amount taken from Kol Zchut.)

Here's what you need to know:

You apply for the discount at your local municipal offices by filling out a form.

You will be asked to supply copies your tlushim (payslips) from the last several months. If you are atzmai, you will be asked to supply a certain amount of documentation.

In some cases the municipality will order a full financial audit before granting the discount.

In most cases, the discount applies to the arnona charges for the the first 100m - if your home is bigger than 100m you pay the full rate on the portion over 100m.

The table below will help you determine if you are eligible for an Arnona discount. Look for your family size, and determine whether your monthly income is in a discount-eligible bracket.

Family size       Monthly Income (up to this amount)            Discount amount

1                               2838                                          up to 80%
                                 2838 - 3263                               up to 60%
                                 3263 - 3689                               up to 40%

2                               4256                                          up to 80%
                                 4256 - 4895                               up to 60%
                                 4895 - 5533                               up to 40%

3                               4938                                           up to 80%
                                 4938 - 5678                                up to 60%
                                 5678 - 6419                                up to 40%

4                               5619                                           up to 80%
                                 5619 - 6462                                up to 60%
                                 6462 - 7304                                up to 40%

5                               6919                                           up to 80%
                                 6919 - 7957                                up to 60%
                                 7957 - 8994                                up to 40%

6                               8219                                           up to 80%
                                 8219 - 9451                                up to 60%
                                 9451 - 10,684                             up to 40%

7                               9519                                            up to 90%
                                 9519 - 10,946                              up to 70%
                                 10,946 - 12,374                           up to 50%

8                                10,818                                         up to 90%
                                  10,818 - 12,441                           up to 70%            
                                  12,441 - 14,064                           up to 50%

9                                12,118                                          up to 90%
                                  12,118 - 13,963                            up to 70%
                                  13,963 - 15,754                            up to 50%

10+                            up to 1346 per person                 up to 90%
                                  up to 1548 per person                 up to 70%
                                  up to 1750 per person                 up to 50%


I hope this information helps some people out there get the discount they deserve on their Arnona (municipal taxes)! And to those who hesitate to ask for this discount - please don't hesitate! Getting this discount will help you out, and there is nothing to be embarrassed about if you apply for it. Asking for this discount (that you deserve) does not make you less of a responsible person, it just means your income needs a boost, like so many others in this country. And this is one way the government gives you that boost. So go ahead and apply!


Please share this post with your English speaking friends in Israel, so as many people as possible who are eligible for these discounts can go apply for them!


And don't forget to find me on Facebook, so you never miss out on a money-saving post!