The Israel Tax Authority has notified dozens of yeshivas that they risk losing Section 46 tax-exempt donation status unless they certify they have no draft-dodging students, according to Hebrew media reports. The Authority demands yeshivas declare no absentees and submit student ID lists; non-compliance could strip the tax benefit.
The Israel Tax Authority sent letters over the weekend to dozens of yeshivas, warning that they must certify they do not enroll students who are evading military service (draft-dodgers) in order to retain their tax-exempt status under Section 46 of the Income Tax Ordinance, according to reports by Yuval Shadeh (N12) and Friend. The Authority's directive, published by multiple Hebrew media outlets including N12 and Army Radio's Moriah Asraf and Doron Kadosh, requires yeshivas to: declare they have no absentees or students who have not regularized their status with the IDF; commit not to enroll such students in the future; and submit student lists with ID numbers. Individual students must present proof of regularized status (service order, exemption, discharge, or call-up date). Failure to comply may result in revocation of Section 46 certification, which provides tax credits for donations. The move follows a High Court petition by the Israel Hofshit movement and the state's position supporting stripping benefits from institutions housing draft-dodgers, as The Zioneer has previously reported (June 25-26). The directive was clarified by the Tax Authority on Saturday: indirect funding, including tax credits for donations, of religious institutions where students have not regularized their military status is prohibited.
5 developments
- DevelopingTax Authority to demand yeshivas declare draft-dodging students or lose tax breaks
- DevelopingState urges High Court to strip tax benefits from yeshivas housing draft dodgers — analysis reveals 430M shekel annual savings
- StrongNew Haredi initiative offers incentives for draft dodgers, sparking controversy
- DevelopingAttorney General tells High Court: Education Ministry must prepare to cut daycare subsidies for yeshiva families of draft-dodgers
Source and signal
- Internal intake