Month: August 2016

Form 12A – A Title as Boring as the Form Itself

On By EmilyinEarnestIn Ireland, Visas, Working Holiday3 Comments

So once you get your PPS number sent to you you’ll be ready to send off your form 12A. This is the second to last step in the process, which will then allow you to set up your bank account (yas).

***UPDATE: So as of 2017, the 12A has morphed into the form 12 which you can do online on your revenue.ie account. When you sign up for revenue.ie, it takes five business days for them to send you your password in the mail (assuming you don’t have an Irish drivers license, which if you do fair play to you, but the rest of us peons need to wait). Once you get your password you can set up your account fully and have access to all the revenue features online!

The form is is similar to to the W-9 if you’re from the US, essentially you’re filling out your information (where you live, how many dependents you have, whether you’re married or single, your income) to figure out how much you should be taxed and how much credit you’re owed in future.

You can find the link to the 12A pdf on the Revenue website here and I would recommend printing it out sooner rather than later and having it all filled in and ready to go so that when your PPS arrives, you can shoot down to the post office right away.

All in all it’s a pretty basic form, make sure you know your gender and marital status! But what’s important is that it will act as your formal proof of address when you’re registering for your bank account.

I sent it in on a Saturday and it came back in about two weeks, so it does take a bit of time to process (thought that makes it even better when it actually comes, I may or may not have done a celebratory dance outside the mailbox).

Side note, if you already have a job at this point, you may have notice that about half of your paychecks are being taken as emergency taxes, which are basically the work of the devil. Don’t fret however, once you get your 12A sorted, you can call into revenue and let them know you need to be taken off of emergency taxes, their number is 1890 333 425. Once you do this, your next paycheck will return all the unwarranted taxes taken from you (which will make you feel like you’re rolling in dough when you get it).

Next up is the bank account, which I’ll be posting about soon, and which I’ve just succeeded in acquiring *bring in the dancing lobsters.* More to come my friends…

PPS Appointments & the Wonderful World of Taxes

On By EmilyinEarnestIn Ireland, Visas, Working Holiday2 Comments

So, in keeping with the informative post theme that I’ve got going on lately, I’ve decided to write a bit about the PPS appointment, which is the third to last step (don’t give up yet, move towards the light!!). Assuming that you find yourself a job, you’ll need a PPS number, which stands for personal public service number, in order to do the fun stuff like get paid (which is always the end goal) and pay taxes (not so much the end goal).

Unlike the GNIB, which is a big shit-show of people vying for appointments and spots in the line, your PPS appointment will be something scheduled and organized. In order to get an appointment though, you have to make an account on MyWelfare, which is the Irish site which deals with public services. BUT in order to access MyWelfare you have to use your account information from MyGovID, which is confusing but is pretty much the same account details.

There’s a link in the left hand corner of the MyGovID page which says “register,” which’ll lead you to the sign up process where you can input all your information. From there, you’ll see an icon on your MyWelfare dashboard which says “Appointments,” which is where you’ll need to go to reserve your spot.

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I would recommend going on and making your appointment as soon as possible. I went in and did it right after the GNIB because usually there’s nothing open until the following month. You can always go in and cancel or change the date of your appointment, but getting in as early as possible means that you can sooner be paid and set up your bank account.

When the time comes for you to go to your meeting, you’ll need official proof of ID (which means get out that passport) and a document proving your employment/address in Ireland. Make sure your proof of employment document has your address on it, if you’re requesting it from your employer, make sure they have it on there. Most employers will know how to write a formal letter of employment, but there are tons of templates online that you could fill out and just send to them to fill in their details and sign.

*Also note the address of your appointment, there are two PPS offices in Dublin, one is The Intreo Centre 197-199 Parnell St in Dublin 1 and the other is D’Olier House on D’Olier St in Dublin 2. I went to the latter office, it’s between the Spar and the Ashfield Hostel.*

Once you get there you’ll check in and fill out a sheet with basic information like your name, birth date, address, etc. Then, they’ll call you up to a desk (for me it took less than 10 mins to have my name called) where they’ll ask you for a lot of the same information you filled out on the sheet. You’ll have to present your passport and proof of employment document so they can take scans. The woman who spoke with me also called my employer just to confirm I worked with them, so let your boss know when your appointment is just in case they call.

After all the documents are scanned and you’ve answered all the questions you’ll be free to go! They’ll send your PPS number along (it took me about 5 business days to get it) along with a PPS ID card, which comes a bit later.

Once you get your PPS number, however, you’ll be ready to send in your form 12A, which I’ll post about next, which is important because it is one of the few documents you can use as official proof of address in order to open your bank account.

All in all, by this point you’re probably wanting to pull your hair out, but that wouldn’t be good for all your future Facebook pictures from various scenic Irish locations. So take a deep breath, make some tea, buy and eat a whole roll of chocolate digestives and keep on going.

So here’s a majestic picture of the Cliffs of Moher to inspire you…

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Job Hunters: Dublin Edition

On By EmilyinEarnestIn Dublin, Ireland, Working HolidayLeave a comment

Hello all!

Sorry for the radio silence lately. I’ve been up to my ears with work and apartment hunting (which is a nightmare in Dublin, rant/post to follow).

So, my last informative post that didn’t have to do with frolicking in Phoenix Park was about the GNIB, which is pretty much your first step in the long and arduous process of setting yourself in Ireland (but breath a sigh of relief because if you can survive the Immigration Office, you can do anything).

Next you’ll want to find yourself a job, unless you have a sizable trust fund which will allow you to live luxuriously in a studio flat surrounded by non-Ikea furniture (those people can promptly walk into the Liffey).

Depending on your degree/experience, the difficulty of getting a job will vary. If you’re looking for something specifically in your field, it may take longer/be harder to find something quickly, in which case you should definitely bring enough money for you to subsist on for at least two months if not more. If you’re a bit more flexible and willing to take whatever position comes to you, you’ll find that there are lots of opportunities.

I personally signed with a recruitment/temp agency. I contacted them and went in for an interview where they went over my CV (which you should have edited and in tip top shape before you move over) and asked me questions about my previous experience. Signing with a temp agency is a good move to start out, because they can give you jobs as short as a day, a week and also as long as six months. If you want to get office experience for future job applications it’s great for getting your foot in the door. It’s also a way to get immediate work, which could be helpful until you find something more permanent if that’s your goal.

Otherwise, if you’re looking for something specific or any jobs in Dublin I would definitely recommend using the site Indeed. With Indeed, you can set the location and search key words relating to the job you’re looking for. I found the best way to do it was to search for the field you want or your goal position, for example “customer service,” and then filter the results by date. That way you can see jobs that were recently posted. Also, if you make a profile and upload your CV, it’ll save your information and automatically input it in jobs you’re applying for (which saves a ton of time that could be better spent in the pub).

If you’re not having any luck with Indeed there are a few other sites that are useful including:

There are also tons of cafes, bars and restaurants that are hiring all around Dublin, especially if you have service experience or if it’s the high season/tourist season (summer). In this case, it might be best to hit the pavement and hand out CVs personally. It’s one thing to say you are personable with customer service skills, and it’s another to meet the manager yourself and leave an impression before they’ve even looked over your credentials.

Make sure to have multiple copies of your CV printed and at the ready, I’ve found the best places to print are the various public libraries around the city (my closest is the Rathmines Library). They’re cheaper than the internet cafes and you’re much less likely to meet a sketchy internet prowler, which is always a plus.

Good luck with your search for employment my friends!