Chocolates, snacks and cosmetics will be thrown in the trash despite the stores' desire to donate them • The reason: bringing the products to Israel would have cost Duty Free more money
Happy days at Duty Free
Photo:
Moshe Shai
Thousands of chocolates, snacks and sweets will be destroyed following their expiration date. At the same time, Duty Free will also destroy quite a few cosmetics and care products that have expired. In a conversation with officials at the company, they explain that, "no one imagined that we would not work for so long and unfortunately all the products would be destroyed instead of going for a donation."
The reason that all the products will be destroyed and will not be donated is a bureaucratic failure with the tax authorities, since all duty-free products imported into Israel are required to pay taxes according to the law, even if it is a donation. At Duty Free they wanted to donate the cosmetics for battered women and the chocolates and snacks to a number of organizations.
In a conversation with Duty Free officials, they express anger at the tax authorities for not allowing the products to be imported for donation, but an inspection with the Tax Authority shows that no request has been received from Duty Free to bring the products into Israel.
We asked for the duty free response to this matter, but there have not yet responded. It is not clear why an accusing finger was pointed at the tax authority even though according to the authority data no such application was submitted. The dry law does require the duty-free to pay taxes for bringing the products into Israel, but why was no official request for an exemption received in this case? It is not clear.
Ben Gurion Airport has been operating on a limited basis since March this year. Duty Free stores have been closed for several months and one of the stores is open in C-sleeve, where a small portion of the products sold in the big store are sold.
