Bar Refaeli investigated for tax fraud

Authorities also accused Refaeli of trying to hide that she was a resident of Israel by living in homes registered under the names of her mother and brother.

Israel’s tax authority said Thursday that worldwide supermodel Bar Refaeli and her mother are suspected of tax evasion for allegedly not reporting millions of dollars in income earned overseas and on luxury items.

Only non-residents of the country are exempt from having to declare income earned overseas.

She and her mother are also suspected of receiving “celebrity discounts” which should have been reported as income, such as discounts on the interior design of Refaeli’s apartment and when Zipora bought an apartment.

An undercover investigation revealed a contract between Refaeli and the management of a luxury complex in Tel Aviv, according to which gossip columns would receive “leaks” regarding her residency there to promote it, the authority alleged.

Refaeli’s lawyer Giora Aderet tells Israel news site Nrg.co.il, “There is no drama”.

The news comes just months after the model, who previously dated actor Leonardo DiCaprio, tied the knot with her fiance Adi Ezra in Israel in September.

Their passports have reportedly been confiscated, and the mother-daughter pair is banned from leaving the country for 180 days.

However Israeli media began to drop hints that it was Bar who had been questioned by authorities on Thursday, revealing that the celebrity had attended the interview with her wealthy businessman husband.