An Israeli court has convicted supermodel Bar Refaeli and her mother Tzipi for tax evasion. Refaeli, 35, has failed to report millions of shekels in income to the tax authorities.
The famous model and her mother made a deal with prosecutors last month. Refaeli agreed to a community service order of 9 months.
She will also be fined 2.5 million shekels and will have to pay 8 million shekels in arrears. Her mother is also fined 2.5 million shekels and has to go to prison for 16 months for her role in the case.
According to Israeli media, the case revolved around the question of where Refaeli had to pay tax in the period 2009-2012.
She argued that at that time she was primarily based abroad, but authorities say that’s not true. The supermodel would have wrongfully failed to report her income and expensive gifts to the tax authorities.
Refaeli was one of the presenters of the Eurovision Song Contest in Tel Aviv, the city where she was convicted on Monday, last year.
The model wore a face mask in court and reprimanded camera operators who gave her insufficient space. “I ask for 2 meters. Friends, you are too close,” she said.