Tax and Maternity Leave - questions...

[annie80]

Hi there,
I'm an employed female the later stages of my pregnancy and I've been trying to find out simplified information regarding maternity leave and taxing.
I've been given loads of advise from colleagues, but nobody has been able to pinpoint me to any specific advise.
For example, if I'm due to come back from maternity leave in November but decide to take some of the entitled 16 week unpaid mat leave - I was told that I'd be ok in December as I'd get tax back (?) but that in January I wouldn't get any contributions back, and should instead release some holidays to ensure my contributions and VHI payments aren't stopped.
None of this makes any sense to me.
Is there anywhere online where I could read up on the best way to go about this for me?

Thanks so much,
Annie

 

[dolly]

The Citizens Information website is good for infomation on taxes, benefits etc. Your maternity benefit is taxfree and you will be refunded any overpaid tax at the end of the year. If you extend your unpaid maternity leave into 2011 you will have no pay coming to you until you return to work so you will not be due any refund for 2011. However the amount of tax you will pay per month in 2011 will be less as your working year will be less than 12 months (i.e. less earnings for the year) depending on the amount of time you take. I hope this makes sense. You should make sure your VHI contribution continues to be paid. You will have to pay it yourself for the months you have unpaid maternity leave.

 

[dolly]

Forgot to say you can of course take any holidays due to you (you should be due 2 weeks in respect of the 26 weeks maternity benefit). You are also entitled to be paid for any public holidays that fell during the 26 weeks. You will get PRSI contributions for those paid days.