A taxing issue for Bar Refaeli

January 13, 2010 - 11:12 AM by

It’s not a good month without a posting on Israel’s supermodel Bar Refaeli. Despite her being – with the possible exception on tremendous NBA rookie Omri Casspi - the most successful and effective PR tool that Israel could possibly hope for, there are some who have it in for her.

Maybe it’s because she managed to break out of the tiny confines of Israel and becoming a worldwide phenomenon, thanks to her Sports Illustrated spreads and advertising campaigns. Or maybe it’s because of some out-of-context quotes about her feelings about Israel that were blown out of proportion by Israel’s yellow media (which unfortunately is also the country’s biggest and most popular daily paper – Yediot Aharonot). Or maybe people are just jealous of her success.

The latest barb against Bar was in today’s Ha’aretz, which reported that Refaeli has asked the Israel Tax Authority to grant her nonresident status for tax purposes.

Refaeli has paid tax here over the years as required, but is now looking at ways to save hundreds of thousands of shekels annually by changing her status.

It seems the authority will find a solution in an effort to keep her paying at least some Israeli taxes. The question of residency status for tax purposes revolves around issues such as how many days a year a person spends in Israel, where he works and if he owns a home here. In any case, Refaeli does most of her work in countries that have tax treaties with Israel, so she will most likely pay part of her taxes here and part abroad.

Now, I don’t know of anyone living here and paying taxes who hasn’t bitched and moaned at one time or another over the tax burdern we working stiffs shoulder. If any of us had a loophole to save some of that precious income, wouldn’t we jump at the chance? And don’t tell me those self-employed among us aren’t writing off every possible item they can to lower their tax burden.

If Refaeli is abroad most of the time, and getting paid for assignments in other countries, why shouldn’t she take advantage of an opportunity to save some money. Maybe she doesn’t want to go on – like the rest of us – funding haredi families whose whose main potential breadwinner studies all day and relies on the welfare our taxes make possible.

Ah, but I digress. This is about Bar Refaeli, and she’s demonstrated time and time again that she’s an Israeli patriot, representing Israel at tourism fairs, always speaking highly of the country in public, and presenting a beatiful face of Israel to the world. If it was smart, our top officials would waive all her income tax and put her on the government payroll.

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Comments

4 Comments on A taxing issue for Bar Refaeli

  1. What War Zone??? on Wed, Jan 13th 2010 11:54 AM

    2. David, the only thing I know is about the interview where she said it was better to live in NY, why die for one’s country? (fine, maybe not so terrible), and there is a chutzpah here that you won’t see anywhere else. Ok, we live here-we know about the chutzpha…but does she have to say it to the world? Those are the quotes I heard….were they not true or taken out of context?

    Benji

  2. Danny Feinstein on Wed, Jan 13th 2010 6:58 PM

    3. People here in Israel are mad because she also managed not to do compolsary military service.
    She is not the best example of a proud Israeli, to say the least/ it is not enough to be good looking.

  3. David-Joe on Fri, Jan 15th 2010 2:46 AM

    4. I live in New York and work in the center of model heaven Chelsea – maybe its because she is NEVER in the modelling or fashion pages in NYC and is only THAT big in Israel.

    She should NOT represent Israel because besides being a great advocate of having non-Jewish boyfriends she has as Danny above says shown how “patriotic” she is.

  4. miriam sofer on Fri, Jan 15th 2010 11:36 PM

    5. love the lightheartedness of this web site but bar is not a good representative of Israel she comes across AS ARROGRANT, DITZY AND WILD. THIS TA BUSINESS MAKES HER LOOK SELFISH AND UNPATRIOTIC. SO WHAT KIND OF PR IS THAT.a

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