Do self-employed persons have to deduct income tax from payments to non-residents?

In an age where the world is becoming a “small global village” and international transactions such as: receiving services from foreign residents, investments abroad, loans, property purchases, etc. by the residents of Israel in front of the wider world are becoming commonplace, we as ordinary citizens must recognize this obligation, in order to avoid exposure to legal risks and fines with the authorities that can reach up to 25% tax liability for the payments we have already paid to that foreign resident….

and for practice,

In principle, 25% must be deducted from any payment to a foreign resident who is in Israel, unless it is a “foreign expert”, a journalist, etc., for which the law treats in a different way.
In light of the fact that the payments are made by the banks, there is an obligation to withhold tax on them of 25% unless the payment is one of those listed below, when in order to make this transfer, T.Sam 114 must be filled out or its replacement received by the bank for the purpose of making said payment, when One statement is valid for several transfers, (it is not necessary to fill out the above form each time).

Payments to a foreign resident that are exempt from withholding tax

There is a list of payments that are exempt from withholding tax without an amount limit, and they are:

When purchasing goods, you can use the list, and you can be satisfied with the payer’s statement as a reference, without the need for an import list.
Regarding the import of goods whose total value does not exceed $500, provided that the payer has declared that this import is not within the scope of his business and/or profession.
Correspondent fees for banks abroad, without the need for the payer’s statement.
Land, sea and air transport services, which are carried out in their entirety abroad.
Port services, unloading, loading and storage abroad, including payments to customs agents abroad.
Services provided to Israeli shipping and aviation companies, operating on international routes, with the exception of payments for services performed in Israel.
International shipping or aviation services, performed by a resident of one of the countries with which Israel has a valid agreement on this matter or for which an order has been issued according to section 70 or 75 of the ordinance.
Tourism services performed in their entirety abroad.
Insurance services abroad to cover risks abroad.
Services provided and performed in full abroad by service providers abroad, including agents, provided that the payer stated that the recipient or someone on his behalf was not in Israel for the purpose of performing the services for which the payment was made and the total payment for
These services in the tax year by the same payer do not exceed $250,000.
Refund of an advance to the customer, provided that the amount of the refund does not include interest and does not exceed the amount of the advance.
Fees for patent registration, standards inspection, company registration, etc., to authorized authorities abroad.
Obligatory payments to governmental authorities abroad upon demand for payment.
Subscription fees for journals published abroad.
Membership fees for an international organization abroad.
Entrance fees or participation fees in a seminar, conference, congress or exhibition held abroad.
Advertising expenses abroad.
User fees paid by an exhibitor for a booth at an exhibition.
Fees for participation in tenders abroad.
Buying plane tickets abroad.
Tuition, registration fees, exam fees, etc., paid to educational institutions abroad.
Rental fees for private needs, which were not claimed in Israel as an expense for tax purposes.
Proceeds from a real estate transaction, when there is a certificate from the Appreciation Tax Administrator for the full payment of the Appreciation Tax or an exemption from it.
Acquisition of social rights from a foreign country or from an institution controlled by a foreign country.
Allowances paid to a foreign resident according to one of the state laws.

Payments to foreign residents subject to withholding tax:

Withholding tax approvals must be obtained from the assessor, when an application must be prepared supported by documents on the nature of the transaction, and the tax treaty with which the foreign resident resides must be checked in advance, when in many cases the issuance of the approval takes a long time due to the need to contact higher levels in the tax authority for the purpose receiving said approval.

These are the payments for which you can receive an exemption / reduction from withholding tax:

Payments for service or professional advice, made in Israel by foreign residents.
Payments for operating and maintaining a permanent office abroad or another permanent institution, including employee wages.
Payments by a payer who does not have a file in the Income Tax Division’s records.
Payments for royalties, acquisition of knowledge, capital gains, payments to related companies, as well as interest and dividend payments for which the withholding rate is lower than 15%.
Interest payments for a loan received from abroad, subject to the calculation of the tax on the real income abroad. The rate of deduction due to payments to a resident of a treaty country will be determined in accordance with what is detailed in the relevant treaty.

You should know: the customer who has tax deducted at source will be entitled to submit an annual report for the purpose of checking the income tax refund.
In conclusion:
Trading and receiving service from foreign residents can save us a lot of money, but it is important in every transaction to protect ourselves from the Israeli tax laws, which can turn an excellent transaction into an expensive and unpleasant experience.
Professional advice and transaction support can save all parties considerable sums of money and a considerable headache.