Senior Tax Authority official caught in storm on X after writing that it's "reasonable" to tax flights

Nili Ben Tovim, head of the Research and Policy Division at the Israel Tax Authority, sparked a storm on X with 364,500 views after responding to a post by journalist Haim Levinson, saying it is "reasonable" to tax flights. The recommendation includes a tax of up to 100,000 shekels per aircraft, translating to an additional 12-274 shekels per passenger.

Nili Ben Tovim, head of the Research and Policy Division at the Israel Tax Authority, found herself in a storm on X after writing in response to a post by journalist Haim Levinson that it is "reasonable" to tax flights. Levinson attacked the Tax Authority's new initiative to impose a tax of up to 100,000 shekels on every aircraft departing from Israel. Ben Tovim's response reached 364,500 views, 410 likes, 349 comments, and 135 reposts. The recommendation, being formulated ahead of the 2027 budget law, includes a tax ranging from about 1,300 shekels per flight for an aircraft up to 50 tons on a domestic flight to about 100,000 shekels per flight for an aircraft over 300 tons on a long-haul flight. According to the position paper, the tax will add about 12 shekels per passenger on a domestic flight, about 58 shekels per passenger on a flight to Europe, and about 274 shekels per passenger on a long-haul flight, which is about 4%-5% of the ticket price. Many users criticized, including Dan Aridor who warned of harm to the economy and export industries. Ben Tovim did not back down and continued to explain that the principle is to tax the impact on global warming. The article notes that 80% of the tax is paid by the top two deciles.