At the beginning of our career, we often have doubts as to whether a certain scope is suitable for us and whether we are strong enough and competitive in this area. Various tests are available in the State Employment Agency (NVA) learning career opportunities, for the determination of interests, abilities and motivations. Self-awareness will help you decide what field of professional activity is most appropriate for you. The tests will also be a good assistant for those who have been working for a long time in a field of professional activity, but want to develop careers in a different direction.

If you need assistance in the interpretation of the results of career tests, in determining professional fitness, in obtaining appropriate education or in seeking work, use the NVA career counselling and other career services. Using the NVA e-training module the e-learning materials available for a “motivational letter and preparation for an interview” can be prepared for a job interview, a description of life and working progress (CV) and a letter of motivation. A knowledge test may be completed at the end of the training.

Professional descriptions can also be consulted electronically In the Catalogue of Descriptions.

Use Labour market forecasting tool and look at changes in labour demand in different occupations and sectoral groups, in different regions and in the country as a whole. In addition, information on the number of employees and the average remuneration in the profession is available (by clicking on the profession).

After you find out what you're interested in and the most relevant areas of activity, you can look at job offers and create or update your CV in NVA CV/Vacancy portal. The portal is suitable for both workers and employers. It covers all vacant vacancies registered by the NVA and its use is free of charge.

When planning to enter into a new employment relationship, it is important to be sure that the future employer, whether it is a company or other type of foundation, is fair and acting in accordance with national legislation. Using the Enterprise Register (UR) website finder basic information on registers under the management of UR can be verified and the reputation of the potential employer's business, such as information on the company's insolvency proceedings, commercial pledges or liquidation.

Detailed information on the insolvency administrator of a legal person or a natural person, including the insolvency proceedings of a natural person, may be obtained through an e-service “Issuance of information from the Enterprise Register Information website“.

In the register of insolvency you can find out the insolvency status by searching for information on the debtor's registration number, name or name.

Using List of tax debtors of the State Revenue Service (SRS), you can find out if your company doesn't have suspended economic activity whether the potential employer is not among those paying less than the minimum monthly salary specified in the State and, as a whole, paid in taxes in the previous year.

The Payroll Tax Book (ANG) is a section of the State Revenue Service's Electronic Statement System (SRS EDS). Since 1 June 2014, it has been available only in the form of an electronic document and is maintained by the SRS.

Under Payroll Tax Book section in the SRS EDS, you can:

• find out what the monthly non-taxable minimum is forecast by your SRS;
• mark the main source of income;
• to notify to the employer or other institution sensitive information regarding himself or herself: disability, the status of the politically repressed person or the status of a member of the national resistance movement;
• to declare the taking of a person or the cessation of his or her dependants;
• print information from ANG.

Payroll Tax Book ensure the application of the non-taxable minimum and allow records on the basis of which the employer applies the specified tax incentives. The records of the dependants in the salary tax book must be made by the individuals themselves.

People who have not been assigned a Payroll Tax Book must connect to the SRS EDS and activate it themselves by pressing the “Open” button under “Payroll Tax Book” and then “Get a Payroll Tax Book.”

The Payroll Tax Book must be submitted to the person's main source of income. For example, if a person has two jobs, his or her salary tax book can only be filed in one of them.

If the SRS does not have any information that confirms your right to tax incentives or additional tax incentives, you must provide the SRS with information that justifies their application. You must submit these documents electronically. Open the “Prepare document” section of the SRS EDS and select “From form”. Then, in the “Other” document group, open “Information for the State Revenue Service” where you can add a scanned document and fill in the comment box.

By electronic means secure electronic signature a certified document can be sent to the SRS via e-address, or to the official e-mail address of the institution vid@vid.gov.lv. The documents mentioned may also be submitted in paper form in any SRS customer service centre, before presenting a personal identification document to the SRS employee.

For individuals who cannot use the SRS EDS, the SRS provides assistance in opening the electronic Payroll Tax Book, as well as printing the information in the customer service centres.

In order to receive personal income tax incentives, dependants must be registered with the State Revenue Service (SRS), making an entry in their electronic salary tax book.

To add a dependant, connect For the SRS Electronic Declaration System and in your physical-person profile, open the payroll-tax book. In the payroll tax book, under “Dependants,” press the “Add dependants” button. As a general rule, the system is able to automatically identify persons who may be dependent. In this case, you must select the proposed dependant, fill in the required properties (starting date, justification, degree of kinship) and press the “Approve” button. If the dependant is not offered automatically, it is necessary to identify it by indicating the given name, surname and personal identity number.

If you can no longer benefit from tax relief for a dependent person, you must notify the SRS within 10 days, indicating the end date of the dependant in your salary tax book.

If a dependent person starts employment relations, the status of the dependent person shall be lost. However, for example, if the monthly income received by a young student, such as the income of paid employment, does not exceed the amount of tax relief (EUR 200 per month in 2018), the benefit for the parent of a dependent person remains.

The exception when, regardless of the amount of gainful employment income, the tax relief for parents is maintained is if the young student works for up to 19 years in the summer months from 1 June to 31 August.

You can use one of the following ways to remove a person from your dependants:

1. Remove the dependent person from the SRS EDS system. Connect SRS EDS and in your physical-person profile, open the payroll tax book. Under “Dependants,” click the “Stop” button. Specify the date you want to disconnect from, and then click the “Approve” button.
2. Fill in electronically form by signing it with secure electronic signature, and send it to the SRS via e-address, to the official office e-mail address vid@vid.gov.lv or, use the EDS “Chat with SRS” functionality.

Closer to school, more and more young people are starting to look for job opportunities in the summer. Parents, too, are starting to think about how to employ their juvenile offspring. The State Employment Agency (NVA), in cooperation with entrepreneurs, local governments and public authorities, shall offer the possibility to work in summer for pupils aged 15 to 20 years who study and continue training in general, special or vocational education institutions in the following school year. More information on the event is available here.

You can also be interested in your local government in the summer.

The employment of children in permanent work is prohibited. A child within the meaning of the law is a person under the age of 15 or who continues to acquire basic education for the attainment of the age of 18.

In exceptional cases, the employment of a child under the age of 13 shall be covered by Section 37, Paragraph 3 of the Labour Law. The employment of a child under the age of 13 shall only be permitted in exceptional cases if one of the parents (guardian) has given written consent and has been received Permission of the National Labour Inspection (NSA), to employ a child as a performer in cultural, artistic, sporting and promotional activities where such employment is not harmful to the safety, health, morality and development of the child. Such employment must not prevent the child from being educated. NSA website available guide for completing the authorisation form.

You can view useful information about job opportunities in the summer on the website of the National Labour Inspection (NSA) for young people www.vdi.gov.lv.

You can find information about the safe working environment for young people on home page www.stradavesels.lv; but for job search tips, see home page www.atkrapies.lv in the “Practical Tips” section.

If a child who trains in a general, professional, higher or special education institution up to the age of 19 works in salaried employment only during the summer months (1 June to 31 August), the parent shall enjoy tax incentives for a dependent person. For additional tax information, see State Revenue Service on the website www.vid.gov.lv.

But if you want to get advice from the National Labour Inspection (NSA) or get NSA action on labour law or job protection issues, use the e-service on the Latvija.lv portal “Submit an application to Labour Inspectorate and get a response from Labour Inspectorate”. The application may include a request, complaint, proposal or question within the NSA's competence.

If an accident has occurred at the workplace, the NSA must be notified of this. It can easily be done through the NSA's e-service “The announcement of the accident at work”.

Upon entering into an employment relationship, the employee must, at the request of the employer, provide information on the criminal record of the person (not). You can order a statement on the portal Latvija.lv using e-service “Requesting of a notice regarding criminal records of a natural person”.

Additional information is available in the description of the life event: Payment and challenge of penalties under the heading Declaration of impunity.

As from 1 January 2018, incapacity leaves (sick leaves) shall be opened, extended and closed only electronically. This is done by the patient's family doctor or treating physician.

If a person has entered into an employment relationship and has become ill at that time and is unable to perform his or her duties, she shall be entitled to the sick sheet.

However, a socially insured person may only be from the age of 15. At that age, the employer shall pay the compulsory social security contributions for the person, on which benefits are also dependent. Entitlement to sickness benefits shall be limited to cases where compulsory social contributions for sickness insurance have been made for a period of not less than 3 months during the last 6 months preceding the first day of incapacity for work or not less than 6 months during the last 24 months.

Once you have recovered and are ready to return to work, your doctor will electronically seal the incapacity sheet.

Once the e-incapacity sheet has been closed, this information shall be sent automatically to the State Revenue Service (SRS). Your employer will see this information on the day following the closure of the e-incapacity page. If an e-incapacity sheet B was issued, the information regarding this shall also be available to the State Social Insurance Agency (VSAA).

If you closed the e-incapacity sheet A, you do not need to take any further steps. The sick-leave sheet A shall be issued for the first 10 calendar days and the sickness allowance for working days shall be paid by the employer.

If you entered into an e-incapacity sheet B, you can apply for sickness benefit from the SSIA.

If the electronic incapacity sheet B is closed, an application for the granting of the benefit shall be submitted within 6 months, counting from the first day of temporary incapacity for work. This can be done by:

• using the Latvija.lv e-service on the portal E-Supply to VSAA Services by selecting “E-Application for granting or recalculating sickness benefits” from the list, enter the required information (bank account number, contact details to which you want to receive a decision from the SSIA), verify the veracity of the data and enter it.
• The application shall specify in particular the e-incapacity sheet for which you wish to receive the sickness allowance. Electronically closed incapacity sheets are automatically displayed in the form of an application!
  Submitting an application addressed to the VSAA (using form or a request in free form) by electronic means, by e-address, the application must be signed with secure electronic signature;

• By submitting the application to any division of the VSAA or by sending the completed application form by post to the section of the VSAA.

Information about your disability pages, their status and numbers is available on the Latvija.lv e-service "Received sick-leave certificates”.

For more information about getting an incapacity sheet, please refer to the life events Action in case of illness and Receipt of incapacity sheet.

The employer must pay the statutory taxes for his or her employees — the State mandatory social insurance contributions (part of the employer's and employee's contribution) and personal income tax. The compulsory contribution rate is 35,09%, of which 24,09% is paid by the employer and 11% by the worker.

The employee is granted a minimum non-taxable income tax. Its size, as well as the possibilities for tax incentives, are affected by the number of persons depending on the employee. Both the part of the mandatory contribution of the employee and the amount of the personal income tax from the income of the employee shall be calculated and the employer shall contribute to the State budget.

Sometimes an employee may have doubts as to whether the employer pays for the taxes specified in their laws — mandatory state social insurance contributions and personal income tax. If you want to check whether your employer pays social security contributions for you, use the Latvija.lv e-service on the portal “Information on social insurance contributions and periods of insurance”.

Information on social contributions is important because they depend on sickness benefits, the size of the pension and other benefits.

To check the amount of personal income tax withheld from your salary, you can use State Revenue Service Electronic Statement System (SRS EDS). In the “Reports” section, select “Reports submitted by taxpayers”. As a result, you will be informed about both the social contributions and the withholding of personal income tax. The SRS EDS will also find information about your periods of employment, salary paid per year, sickness benefits and economic activity if you do so.

At a distance and at any convenient time and location, knowledge of taxes, national and social budgets, the functioning of the social security system in the State of Employment Agency (NVA) can be acquired by everyone in the “e-training” module Financial literacy. The learning content includes both theoretical explanation and audio and video materials and dialogue simulations and self-testing capabilities. A knowledge test may be completed at the end of the training.

In order for the trainee to officially enter into practice in an undertaking or institution, a contract of practice must be concluded. The Law determines two types of contracts:

1. prior to the training practice, the representative of the educational establishment, the representative of the place of practice and the trainee shall enter into a tripartite agreement on training practices, which shall determine the rights and duties of the educational establishment, places of practice and trainee, the duration of practice and the conditions for termination of the contract. If the trainee is a minor, the trainee's parent or legal representative shall enter into a contract regarding training practice;
2. bilateral internship agreement between trainee and places of practice providing for mutual settlement arrangements.
   
   

The Law does not prescribe an obligation for the trainee to pay remuneration for the performance of the practice. However, if the trainee agrees in writing with the place of practice, such remuneration may be paid to the trainee.

The remuneration to be paid to the trainee shall be subject to personal income tax, as well as mandatory State social security contributions shall be made from it. The enterprise must make deductions from the trainee's remuneration by paying it to the budget. In certain cases, the remuneration of the trainee's practice – the grant – is not included in the taxable income. Grants up to EUR 280 per month, which the place of practice costs to an trainee, who undertakes a training programme in accordance with the procedures specified by the Cabinet, in which the organisation and implementation of training based on the working environment.

Action in case of illness

Forming of age

Losing and searching of job

Amount and receipt of an old-age pension

Studies and lifelong learning

How to submit an annual income statement