Can I get the dole while writing a book?

I understand artists/musicians in this country can avail of a tax exemption for the first 30,000 of their earnings.

What I don't understand is how this is calculated. Lets say a man quits his job and begins writing a book. He is unemployed and so claims jobseeker's benefit. 1 year later he completes the book and begins earning from the sales. As soon as he earns his first €1 I assume he can no longer claim welfare? Or ought he not have been claiming welfare while writing the book at all?

If you are writing a book, you are not available for work which is a requirement for Jobseekers Benefit and Jobseekers Allowance.

That is unrelated to the artists' tax exemption.

Brendan

Thanks Brendan for your response.

I could see how one would not be available for work when writing a book.

What if one wrote a book part time while working, completed it and then finished the work (finished both the job and the book). Then surely one would be eligible for Jobseeker's Allowance, while waiting for the book to be published?

settlement said:

Thanks Brendan for your response.

I could see how one would not be available for work when writing a book.

What if one wrote a book part time while working, completed it and then finished the work (finished both the job and the book). Then surely one would be eligible for Jobseeker's Allowance, while waiting for the book to be published?

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Of course you are right

Brendan Burgess said:

If you are writing a book, you are not available for work which is a requirement for Jobseekers Benefit and Jobseekers Allowance.

That is unrelated to the artists' tax exemption.

Brendan

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Surely that cannot be correct Brendan , if you declare yourself available for work & adhere to the parameters set out by your case worker in terms of attending any course and interviews deemed appropriate then there should be no reason why you would not qualify for jobseekers assistance / benefits whichever applies .
Nobody says that you cannot write a book in your leisure time.
Obviously for aesthetic purposes it would be far preferable to see authors living in garretts in Paris ( via either the ferry or at a push Ryanair ) on a diet of absinthe & baguettes but unfortunately those days are gone !

Hi Settlement,
The current artist exemption is €50,000 (increased in budget '15)

However a word of caution, the exemption may not be there for much longer if the revenue get their wishes of cultural revolution.
[broken link removed]
http://www.irishexaminer.com/ireland/revenue-to-review-artists-tax-exemption-311855.html

To be fair Bertie being able to claim the artist exemption on his work of fiction a few years back could inadvertently mean genuine artists being made suffer in the long run.

Deiseblue said:

Nobody says that you cannot write a book in your leisure time.

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True, but if you are writing for a targeted audience, such as say a how to book and you start seeking an agent or a publisher, it is no longer a leisure activity... Just imagine all the leisure time players there would be in the football leagues if that logic was followed.....

settlement said:

Lets say a man quits his job and begins writing a book.

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Deiseblue said:

Nobody says that you cannot write a book in your leisure time.

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Hi Deise

He is not proposing to write a book in his leisure time. He is quitting his job to write a book. He is not entitled to Jobseekers Benefit unless he lies about what he is doing.

settlement said:

What if one wrote a book part time while working, completed it and then finished the work (finished both the job and the book). Then surely one would be eligible for Jobseeker's Allowance, while waiting for the book to be published?

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Are you eligible to Jobseekers if you leave a job as opposed to being made redundant.

It would be a very brave person who gives up their job in the hope of being the next JK Rowling. Royalties from books aren't very big, so you need to sell a lot of units to make money.

If you leave work voluntarily you cannot get jobseekers benefits for 9 weeks , if you declare yourself available for work , submit a CV ,attend courses & interviews as required & most importantly accept employment if same is offered then I really see no reason why you cannot write in your free time - after all writing in the hope of being published is a form of seeking paid work !

I was wondering why so many of our sports stars were writing books (or having them ghostwritten). It's all about the tax exemptions, stupid!

These guys write books @ circa €22 a pop; a few weeks later they occupy the buy 3 get 1 free slot; and a couple of months later the €2.99 bargain bin in your newspaper shop. And the likes of Bertie will ensure this will continue.

This thread has turned into an eye-opener for me - overpaid sports stars being able to legally diddle the system - good for them. I think I'll write a book myself (Thoughts of a Misunderstood Leper).

But, the original poster can easily trawl through Job-Seekers Allowance and once a couple of boxes are ticked "honestly" he will have little problems.Submit a few job applications nearly anywhere and your reject letters will keep the Dept from your back.
Best of Luck with the Book too!