The Iranian missiles pack a punch, but some compensation is on offer from the Israeli government. Here are some recent additions to the relief package. That being said, the less needed, the better.

The Israel Tax Authority (ITA) has opened an online fast-track option for property and compensation of up to NIS 30,000. Regular, slower tracks are available for claims above this amount (see below).

Under the fast track, approval of a claim may be granted without waiting for an appraiser. The intention is to pay out within seven days from the completion of the claim with all required details.

The track is intended for both private and business claimants who meet the definition of a “damaged party” under the Property Tax Law, i.e., the property owner, or a person who has proven that they bear the expenses of restoring the property, or the owner of damaged contents, including a tenant in the property.

The track requires identification through the ITA’s digital services and submission of documentation, including photographs and repair quotes. The claimant must affirm the accuracy of the documentation.

A specific procedure applies. After entering basic details, a link is sent via text message for uploading photographs from the damage site, documenting the damage.

The photographs must be taken and uploaded from the damage site only, and only after the text message has been sent. Photographs taken before opening the claim or uploaded from a location other than the damage site will not be accepted, and the claim will be turned down.

Submission through the fast track replaces submission through the regular track. It is limited to one claim per household and one claim per event. Payment of compensation is conditional upon submission of an invoice no later than 30 days from the date of payment.

Alongside the fast track, there is also a “regular” track in which a claim may be submitted after identification through the ITA’s digital services. Identification enables the claimant to track the progress of the claim through their personal area, without the need to contact the call center, and to upload documents even after the claim has been submitted.

There is also a regular track without identification through the ITA’s digital services in which a claim may be submitted using an ID number or passport.

Claimants who have already submitted claims since February 28 via the regular track with identification, and for whom an appraiser has not visited the site, may switch to the fast track by accessing the claim and clicking the “Change Track” button.

If a home suffers damage, short- and long-term assistance is available.

Short-term assistance involves:

(1) Evacuation to a hotel, arranged by the local authority and funded by the government’s Compensation Fund; or (2) self-evacuation, e.g., staying with a relative, resulting in maximum compensation of NIS 4,000 for up to two weeks.

Long-term assistance involves:

(1) The resident is responsible for finding a suitable rental apartment and must present a lease agreement to the Compensation Fund if the home was declared uninhabitable by an authorized body due to damage from war or hostilities; or (2) Extended stay in a hotel or guest apartment, subject to approval by the Compensation Fund in coordination with the local authority; (3) Self-evacuation, e.g., with relatives, with compensation to homeowners up to the following: Single adult, NIS 4,000 per month; two parents or a parent with a child, NIS 5,000 per month; each additional child under 18, NIS 500 per month; each additional adult living with the parent, NIS 1,000 per month.

Compensation is limited to 80% of the rent for an apartment with similar characteristics to the evacuated home.
In the case of tenants, not owners, they may receive a payment based on the rent specified in the original lease agreement of the evacuated property.

Exception: Homeowners not residing in the damaged home do not receive alternative home assistance.
For more information on all of the above in English, visit: Guide for Evacuees Following Operation “Roaring Lion” – Alternative Housing Israel Tax Authority.

Various tax deadlines have been pushed back, and if tax is unpaid, no new bank-account lien (freeze) will be imposed after March 2 for the time being.

Business compensation packages are expected to be announced soon.

Keep well, and please don’t stray from your safe room or shelter.

As always, consult experienced professional advisers in each country at an early stage in specific cases.

leon@hcat.co

The writer is a certified public accountant at Harris Consulting & Tax Ltd.