Bar Refaeli fined, to do community service for tax evasion
The case centered on Refaeli's income that she earned abroad in the years 2009-2012 and the concealment of additional income and benefits that she received in Israel.
By JERUSALEM POST STAFFIsraeli supermodel Bar Rafaeli poses at the NBC All-Star party in Beverly Hills, California July 20, 2008(photo credit: FRED PROUSER/REUTERS)
A plea bargain has been reached in the Bar Refaeli tax evasion case whereby the famed supermodel and TV hostess will receive a suspended sentence, pay a NIS 2.5 million fine, as well as NIS 8 million in back taxes, and do nine months of community service. Her mother Tzipi Refaeli will serve a 16-month sentence and also pay a NIS 2.5 million fine for her role in the case.The case centered on Bar Refaeli’s income that she earned abroad in the years 2009-2012 and the concealment of additional income and benefits that she received in Israel.The case began in 2017 with Refaeli’s arrest by the Israel Tax Authority on suspicion of having evaded taxes during the period in questionThe 35-year-old sex symbol claimed that, during the years discussed, she was romantically involved with Leonardo DiCaprio and therefore her life-center, a legal definition when taxes are decided upon, was the US and not her native country. Tax Authority officials insist Refaeli was actually living in apartments in Tel Aviv listed under the names of family members.In 2016, Refaeli’s mother Tzipi Refaeli was arrested on suspicion of having failed to report their complete income and of having misled the tax assessor, thus avoiding tax on income from abroad estimated in the tens of millions of shekels, Globes reported.According to Globes, the indictment against the pair attributed most of the responsibility for the tax swindle to the mother, which is why she bore the heavier sentence.Refaeli’s lawyers said the plea bargain proved she hadn’t intentionally evaded tax payments.“In the relevant time period, Bar was in her early 20s, was working as an international model and was not involved in financial matters. Today she is taking responsibility for mistakes that were made,” they said in a statement.The case has done nothing to diminish Refaeli’s high profile in Israel, where her ubiquitous image is portrayed hugely on highway billboards throughout the country as a pitch woman for various products. Last year, she hosted the Eurovision Song Contest in Tel Aviv, seen by millions around the world."The plea deal makes it clear once and for all that Bar Refaeli did not intend to evade taxes," lawyers representing Refaeli told Channel 13. "There's no question about the fact that during the dates specified, Bar was in her early twenties, was working as an international model and did not deal with the financial parts of her job. Now Bar will be taking responsibility for the mistakes that were made and will pay the necessary price for them.”
