Insights & News / Harel Perlmutter

Harel Perlmutter, head of our firm’s Tax Department, was interviewed by Yigal Borochovsky and Rachel Shahar for 102FM’s “Disputes Program.” He explained the procedures and necessary reporting when receiving an inheritance from outside of Israel.

Yuval Lazi and Harel Perlmutter were interviewed by Globes about the transfer of Osem’s intellectual property rights to Nestlé. They explained how this transfer is likely to affect the State of Israel.

We hosted members of the Association of Corporate Counsel (ACC) for the conference The High-Tech Employment World. 

The conference focused on key issues in the Israeli high-tech employment market and included diverse lectures on such topics as non-competition clauses in employment agreements, the workforce as a critical element in the workplace, and more.

Among the speakers at the conference were Micky Barnea, our firm’s managing partner; Nani Maoz, the founder, chairman, and CEO of Everest; and firm lawyers Harel Perlmutter, Netta Bromberg, Inbar Gorelick, and Amos E. Rosenzweig.

Harel Perlmutter, the head of our firm’s Tax Department, details the tax benefits for new immigrants to the Russian language news website MIGNEWS.

Harel Perlmutter, head of our firm’s Tax Department, served as a speaker at the Israeli Association of Public Companies’ annual Tax and Capital Market Conference, where he discussed tax challenges for 2023.

It’s important to prepare yourself for the end of the tax year and be aware of all the benefits you may be eligible for. An expert in the tax field, Harel Perlmutter suggests to Mako readers that they check their eligibility for Covid-19 grants and stresses that income from renting a residential apartment is taxable.

Taxation can make or break real estate deals. Harel Perlmutter, head of our firm's Tax Department, talks with Guy Lieberman about tax hitches and opportunities in an interview also published on Globes.

Many companies and businesses work with influencers to advertise their products on social media. This type of cooperation has tax implications. Harel Perlmutter, the head of our firm's Tax Department, was interviewed for the podcast "Tzeva Hakesef" (with Yair Weinreb) about the issue.

Harel Perlmutter, the head of our firm’s Tax Department, was interviewed on the radio program “Tzeva Hakesef” about the latest storm surrounding apartments registered in the name of social media personality Hadar Mokhtar. Harel explained the issue and discussed the tax implications of registering an apartment in your child's name.

Harel Perlmutter, the head of our firm’s Tax Department, discusses the "tax pitfalls" when purchasing an apartment for investment.

Harel Perlmutter, the head of our Tax Department, lectured this week to TAU Ventures, Tel Aviv University's venture capital fund for investments in startups. Harel addressed the advantages and disadvantages of preferred stock companies, employee compensation options, and other tax issues relevant to startups.

Our firm hosted a delegation of French aerospace technology companies. Firm partners Samuel Henry Samuel and Harel Perlmutter discussed various aspects of entering the Israeli market.

Is Israel a tax haven for Russian billionaires? Our firm's Harel Perlmutter and other experts shed light on what is happening.

Shift4 Payments, an American public company, has acquired Finaro for a value of USD 575 million.

Advs. Simon Jaffa, Ariella Dreyfuss, Mayer Winkler, Harel Perlmutter, Hanna Daher, and Fadi Atallah advised on the transaction.

We represented Inven Capital, Volvo Group Venture Capital, and Ombu Group in the sale of their shares in Driivz to Vontier, a global mobility company.

Simon Jaffa, Ariella Dreyfuss, Harel Perlmutter, and Fadi Atallah from our office advised on the transaction.

Tax refunds are not just a matter for the self-employed. In an interview with Israel Hayom to mark the end of the tax year, Harel Perlmutter, the head of our firm’s Tax Department, provides valuable advice on the subject.

Barnea represented the French and Israeli group of companies Sephira, a leader in software solutions for healthcare professionals, in the sale of its holdings to the DL Software Group, which was recently acquired by the American PE fund TA Associates.

The transaction was led by Samuel Henry Samuel, and Avihay Asulin. Netta Bromberg provided representation in all labor law matters, and Harel Perlmutter and Nir Ziman advised on all tax issues.

We advised Reef Technology, one of the largest operators of mobility, logistics hubs, and neighborhood kitchens in the United States, on its acquisition of the Israeli logistics startup Bond, which was initially founded as Shookit, a direct-to-consumer grocery startup that delivered fresh produce to clients in the city within hours. The deal was led by Advs. Michael Barnea, Ariella Dreyfuss, and Tal Freilich. Netta Bromberg advised on the employment side. Harel Perlmutter and Hanna Daher advised on the tax side. Anat Even-Chen advised on data privacy and security and other regulatory matters.

The “Pandora Papers” scandal, revealed yesterday, shines a spotlight on the world of tax havens.

Firm partner and Tax Department head Harel Perlmutter addresses the issue in an interview with N12.  

An Israeli district court rejected the Israel Tax Authority’s attempt to force the Azrieli Foundation to pay taxes in the amount of tens of millions of shekels for dividends it received and continues to receive due to its holding in Azrieli Group's shares. The court accepted the tax appeal, which was filed by Barnea Jaffa Lande, and ruled that the Azrieli Foundation,  a non-profit organization that works for the public good in Israel, is not the controlling owner of Azrieli Group and is therefore entitled to a tax exemption. The court ruled, among other things, that the ITA’s position could have a chilling effect in relation to business entities’ support of philanthropic associations. Our firm's  Zohar Lande, Eyal Nachshon, Harel Perlmutter, Nir Ziman, and Omer Keydar represented the Azrieli Foundation throughout the proceedings, which lasted about five years.

Are you renting out an apartment? It is important to be aware of the existing rental income tax tracks, if there is a difference between the taxation of short-term rental apartments and long-term rental apartments, and the rules on renting out apartments abroad.

Adv. Harel Perlmutter, partner and head of our firm's Tax Department, addresses all these questions in a comprehensive podcast on the taxation of renting out apartments in Israel and abroad.

Last weekend, the leaders of the G7 countries signed an agreement to impose a uniform global corporate tax rate of 15%.

Harel Perlmutter, partner and head of our Tax Department, was interviewed by Calcalist about the decision and its impact on Israel.

Together with the Black Cat Family, an organization for the alumni of the IDF’s combat search and rescue extraction unit, we launched a five-session workshop to provide basic legal tools for entrepreneurs. As part of the sessions, we lectured on founders’ agreements. We also lectured on the employee hiring process, and on how to build the right tax structure.

The planned corporate tax rate hike in the United States has Israeli investors worried about further developments and the impact on Israeli companies. As an expert in the taxation field, Harel Perlmutter was interviewed by Bizportal on the issue and its implications.

Harel Perlmutter, the head of our Tax Department, has published an op-ed in Globes on the importance of recognizing childcare expenses for tax purposes, particularly now during the coronavirus period.

About a year and a half after the investment fund Accelmed, which is managed by Uri Geiger, announced the merger of the company it controls, American Keystone Group, with the Israeli Paltop company, controlled by Shmuel Topaz, it is now acquiring the entire holdings in Paltop for NIS 100 million. This ends the conflict between the investor groups of Paltop and Accelmed. Advs. Daniel Lorber, Netta Bromberg, and Harel Perlmutter  represented the Topaz family and the Paltop investors.

Each year, many returning residents arrive in Israel. Following the COVID-19 outbreak, the number of people seeking to return to Israel has increased even further. The process of returning to Israel is not simple, and returning residents face enormous difficulties as part of it. A Ynet article on the subject featured an interview with Harel Perlmutter, a partner and the head of the firm’s Tax Department. Harel explained: “Those who return to Israel after less than six years abroad have almost no tax benefits.” He added that “there is a great confusion about the rights and benefits returning residents are eligible to from the National Insurance Institute. Over the years, the benefits for returning returns have been cut back, and this has kept people away from the country.”

We represented Inven Capital, a Czech-based VC fund and a shareholder in Cyberx Israel, an Israeli IoT & ICS cybersecurity startup, in Cyberx's sale to Microsoft for USD 165 million. CyberX has gained tremendous customer growth, with a number of leading companies using its IoT security platform to protect their web facilities. Cyberx has raised about USD 48 million since its inception in 2013. This is Microsoft’s eighth acquisition in Israel in the last decade.

Adv. Harel Perlmutter will lecture on a webinar held by Toshav Chozer NPO. The webinar is focused on the tax considerations returning residents to Israel should be familiar with. The decision to return to Israel, normally a very complicated one, has taken on new meaning with the impact of the coronavirus. Harel will discuss all tax rights.

This year, we were once again responsible for preparing the QA guide on doing business in Israel for the Practical Law website. The guide provides an overview of recent key developments that have affected doing business in Israel, including the legal system, foreign investment, employment, tax, competition, privacy, IP, etc.

Our tax team advised the strategic partner Sham (Relyens Group), Europe’s largest insurance and risk management provider for healthcare, on the tax aspects of its USD 20 million investment in CyberMDX, an Israeli healthcare cybersecurity provider that delivers visibility, threat prevention, and operational efficiency for medical devices, IoT, and clinical networks.

Harel Perlmutter was interviewed by Tax Notes International following criticism that the reliefs the Israel Tax Authority issued for taxpayers in light of the coronavirus pandemic are insufficient.

Our firm represented the Spanish multinational industrial group MAT Investment Holdings in the merger of its Israeli subsidiary Dorot Management Control Valves from Kibbutz Dorot with A.R.I. Flow Control Accessories, a company owned indirectly by Kibbutz Kfar Haruv.

Join us for a seminar on the new international standards for internal alert mechanisms. The EU whistleblower protection directive that came into force in December 2019 and trends in the US signal a new duty—the obligation to formulate an in-house mechanism that allows employees to report improper or unethical conduct. To date, such mechanisms have largely been the responsibility of large companies subject to heavy regulation, but this reality is about to change. To what extent is your organization ready for such a mechanism? Are there any accepted standards for such mechanisms?

Our firm hosted today a meetup of the Florida-Israel Business Accelerator. Yuval Lazi and Harel Perlmutter met with the participating startups and discussed the challenges and opportunities of working with the US.

We hosted today a meetup for female entrepreneurs in the ecommerce field. Harel Perlmutter and Anat Even-Chen lectured to the participants on the taxation and regulatory issues that could affect them.

We are proud to be ranked by International Tax Review for the 2020 edition of World Tax in the general corporate tax and private clients categories.

Our firm represented CryoLife in a strategic transaction with Israel-based endovascular stent graft system developer Endospan. The transaction involved an option to purchase Endospan for up to USD 450 million in the future, together with an exclusive distribution arrangement and USD 15 million in secured debt financing.

Adv. Harel Perlmutter was interviewed by TheMarker following a precedential ruling by the Tel Aviv District Court, which determined that the conveyance of Israeli real estate to a trust is not a tax event. Harel noted that the ruling opens up many interesting ways to plan and manage intergenerational transfers of wealth and real estate, without tax being a negative factor and affecting the process.

Our firm represented the private equity group Bridgepoint in the acquisition of control in the Israeli software testing company Qualitest from Marlin Equity Partners for approx. USD 420 million.

Following the ruling that Bar Refaeli must pay NIS 16 million in income tax, Adv. Harel Perlmutter, the head of our tax team, was interviewed by a popular radio program on 103FM.

The Central District Court in Lod rejected yesterday the supermodel's appeal, which was filed following an Israel Tax Authority order that she pay taxes in Israel on millions of dollars in income earned abroad.
Refaeli claimed that during the relevant years she spent only six months in Israel, and as a foreign resident, she did not owe any money to the tax authorities.

Harel Perlmutter explained the definition of a country of residence, as the trial revolved around the question of whether Refaeli was domiciled in Israel in 2009 and 2010. He also clarified the difference between the civil case and pending criminal charges.

Our firm represented Exclusive Networks in its acquisition of 70% of the shares of Israeli company Securewave Ltd, one of Israel’s leading independent cybersecurity VADs.

Adv. Harel Perlmutter was interviewed by Bloomberg BNA following the Tel Aviv City Council's move to double property taxes on apartments rented for short-term tourism.

Barnea's Q&A guide to doing business in Israel was published on the Practical Law website. The guide provides an overview of recent key developments that have affected doing business in Israel, including the legal system, foreign investment, regulation, employment, taxation, and IP.

We hosted today participants of AWS EdStart, an educational technology (EdTech) startup accelerator. A number of partners from our firm spoke at the seminar: Itay Gura lectured on founders' agreements, Daniel Lorber on intellectual property, and Harel Perlmutter on the tax issues of startups.

Adv. Harel Perlmutter lectured today at Ben-Gurion University on startup taxation. The lecture was part of a course for MBA students in the Faculty of Management.

Adv. Harel Perlmutter was interviewed by Bloomberg BNA following Airbnb's decision to remove listings in the West Bank.

Our firm represented Senetas Corporation in a USD 8 million investment in the Israeli cyber company Votiro Cybersec Global Limited

Adv. Harel Perlmutter, Head of the Tax Department, was interviewed by Bloomberg BNA following the Israel Tax Authority's announcement of a new "Green Route" to make it easier for Israeli entrepreneurs to transfer corporate assets abroad.

Adv. Harel Perlmutter, Head of the Tax Department, was interviewed by Bloomberg BNA on the decision of Amazon Web Services’ to start collecting and remitting value-added tax in Israel.

Adv. Harel Perlmutter was interviewed by Bloomberg BNA, following the reveal of eBay Inc. that the Israel Tax Authority is demanding NIS 156.6 million in additional taxes from the company for the 2010-2015 tax years.

Our firm is hosting today the participants of Taasiyeda, an education program founded by the Manufacturers Association of Israel, for a seminar on founders' agreements, IP, and tax issues.

Adv. Harel Perlmutter was interviewed by Bloomberg BNA on the possible governmental decision to force Bezeq Israeli Telecommunication Corp. to sell its infrastructure holdings in an effort to boost competition in the sector. This move may be considered a taxable event.

Our firm represented Greenyard Fresh, a global market leader of fresh, frozen, and prepared fruits and vegetables, in the acquisition of 49% of Mor International.

Adv. Harel Perlmutter, Head of our Tax Department, was interviewed by Bloomberg BNA following a new labor court ruling. The ruling considers tips paid to waiters to be part of their salary, thus forcing employers to pay social benefits.

Harel Perlmutter, Head of our Tax Department, was interviewed by Bloomberg BNA following the announcement of Israel's plans to tax Airbnb hosts directly through the service’s website. 

Harel Perlmutter, Head of our Tax Department, was interviewed by Bloomberg BNA in the wake of new publicity surrounding the Milchan Law. The law in question grants new immigrants and returning residents a 10-year tax exemption on income earned abroad.

Dr. Zvi Gabbay, Head of our Capital Markets Department, and Adv. Harel Perlmutter, Head of our Tax Department, were interviewed by Bloomberg BNA regarding the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange's intention to reduce red tape and ease regulations in order to further continue the growth in the number of new companies being traded on TASE.

Adv. Harel Perlmutter, the head of our Tax Department, was interviewed by Bloomberg BNA following the release of the Israel Tax Authority's new draft plan for taxing ICOs.

Barnea is hosting an ICOs and digital currencies event today. Dr. Zvi Gabbay will lecture on regulation opportunities and challenges, while Harel Perlmutter will discuss the taxation of cryptographic coins and the Tax Authority's position.

Following the Panama Papers leak, Israeli authorities have arrested two Israelis on suspicion of evading millions of shekels in tax payments by using companies registered in offshore tax havens. Harel Perlmutter, a partner and head of Barnea's Tax Department, commented to Bloomberg BNA that even though many Israelis were named in the leaked documents, most of them appear to have been using the offshore havens for reasons other than tax evasion.

Barnea represented Israeli startup EXO Technologies, a developer of GPS technology for autonomous and connected vehicle applications, in its acquisition by the American corporation Lear.

HP Inc. completed its acquisition of Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.’s printer business in a deal valued at $1.05 billion. HP Inc. was represented by Barnea

Adv. Harel Perlmutter, partner and head of Barnea's Tax Department, was interviewed by Bloomberg BNA, following the Bank of Israel's call on Israeli banks to redefine their strategies for overseas operations. Harel noted that the Supervisor of Banks at the Bank of Israel wants to keep the bank system strong even if it means cutting part of the banks' profits deriving from activity outside of Israel.

Adv. Harel Perlmutter, Head of the Tax department at Barnea, was interviewed by Tax Analysts following the arrest of the chief executive of Deutsche Bank's operation in Israel on suspicion of violating VAT law. The Israel Tax Authority claims that the customers, in respect of whom Deutsche Bank reported its transactions as being zero rated, allegedly because they were conducted on behalf of “foreign residents”, were actually Israeli residents. Harel commented that it is often difficult to determine whether someone is a foreign tax resident.

Adv. Harel Perlmutter, Head of the Tax Department at Barnea, was interviewed by Bitcoin.com regarding the Israeli Tax Authority’s (ITA) draft on digital currencies. Harel commented that the draft circular is a declaration of intent from the ITA and at this stage no draft legislation has been published.

Doing Business in Israel? A Q&A guide to doing business in Israel written by Barnea was published in the Practical Law website. The guide gives an overview of the legal system, foreign investment, regulation, and other issues pertaining to Israel.

Adv. Harel Perlmutter, Head of the Tax Department at Barnea, lectured today on taxation of startups at the AtoBe – Azrieli College of Engineering Startup Accelerator.

Barnea is conducting on February 14th a morning seminar on the new Multiple Housing Taxation Law. Adv. Maya Zisser, Partner at the Real-Estate Department will lecture on the new tax - to whom does it apply, the tax rate, payment methods, exemptions and credits. Adv. Harel Perlmutter from the Tax Department will lecture on tax saving opportunities in respect of rental income. 

Adv. Harel Perlmutter, Head of the Tax Department at Barnea, was interview by Bloomberg regarding a draft circular of the Israel Tax Authority on taxation of virtual currencies (bitcoins and the like).  Harel commented that the draft imposes almost insurmountable restrictions on the use of virtual currencies in Israel, due to the liabilities and costs involved.

Adv. Harel Perlmutter, Head of the Tax Department at Barnea was interviewed by Ynet regarding the expected tax amendments going into effect in 2017.

This week the Supreme Court rejected Yaakov Peri's demand for a tax reduction from the tax authorities from an exercise of options received by the public company, Lipman Electronic Engineering. Adv. Harel Perlmutter, Head of the Tax Department at Barnea was interviewed by Globes and noted that during the period in which the controversy arose, there was a difference between corporate tax (35%) and capital gains tax (25%) for companies. Today, when the tax rates are identical, there are no implications arising from the nature of the tax imposed on the taxpayer.

Barnea is hosting today a seminar for students from the IDC Legal Clinic for Start-Ups on various issues including founding agreement, labor law and tax issues, privacy policy, entrepreneurship and more. The cooperation is part of the firm's pro bono activities.

Harel Perlmutter was interviewed yesterday by leading newspapers regarding the EU Commission’s order against Apple to pay 13 billion Euros ($14.5 billion) to Ireland in respect of unpaid taxes. According to Perlmutter, Apple could be hit with billions of dollars in assessments for back taxes after this landmark decision.

Adv. Harel Perlmutter, Head of the Tax Department at Barnea, was interviewed by several media following the European Union's ruling that Apple was given illegal tax benefits over two decades, therefore will need to pay 13 billion Euros in back taxes in Ireland.

Adv. Harel Perlmutter, Head of the Tax department at Barnea, was interviewed by Globes following the announcement by the Israel Tax Authority regarding tax audits of short term landlords. Harel explained that these landlords are liable not only for the payment of income tax, but also for the payment of VAT.

In the last few years the Airbnb platform has become a significant player in the tourist market, with a user base growing at 40% at the last year. Thousands of Israelis rent out their apartments through Airbnb and earned an amount equivalent to a monthly salary. The ITA has (until now) not been proactive in enforcing the taxability of such income. 

Adv. Harel Perlmutter was interviewed for the Ynet website and spoke about the new tax rules that may change this trend.

What can the taxpayer do to take advantage of available tax breaks and allowances?

Tax experts, including adv. Harel Perlmutter, discuss these issues on Ynet.

Israel signed the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development’s Multilateral Competent Authority Agreement (MCAA) to facilitate the automatic exchange of financial information, boosting the number of signatories to 91 and enhancing the global efforts against tax evasion, the OECD announced. 

Harel Perlmutter was interviewed by Bloomberg BNA about this agreement. 

The Israel Tax Authority is negotiating a treaty for prevention of double taxation with Australia.

Adv. Harel Perlmutter, who specializes in international taxation at the Barnea law firm, believes this progress is "wonderful news. Israel and Australia have excellent economic and political relations, and Israeli investment in Australia has tripled over the past three years. At the same time, no significant talks have yet taken place on a tax treaty between the countries. This lack of a treaty sometimes brings about situations of double taxation and uncertainty, together with problems of withholding tax in trade and business, especially among Israeli companies seeking to operate and invest in Australia, and vice versa."

The new VAT amendments will lower the cost of clinical trials on humans in Israel. The amendment to the VAT legislation is expected to benefit international companies which conduct clinical trials in Israel.

Adv. Harel Perlmutter, who specializes in international taxation at Barnea & Co., was interviewed to Globes and stated that: "the new amendments will have two major implications – Firstly when the Israeli company acquires the medication from an overseas company, the Israeli company will not have to pay VAT or Customs Duty in Israel (the Israeli company will usually pass on these costs to the overseas company). Secondly, when the Israeli company charges fees for its services to the overseas company for doing the trials, the Israeli company will charge VAT at zero per cent."