NOTE 12 - TAXES ON INCOME

The Company

Protalix BioTherapeutics, Inc. is taxed according to U.S. tax laws. The Company’s income is taxed in the United States at the rate of up to 27%.

On December 22, 2017, the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (the “Act”) was enacted into law. The new legislation represents fundamental and dramatic modifications to the U.S. tax system. The Act contained several key tax provisions that impacted the Company including the reduction of the maximum U.S. federal corporate income tax rate from 35% to 21%, effective January 1, 2018. Other significant changes under the Act included, among others, a one-time repatriation tax on accumulated foreign earnings, a limitation of net operating loss deduction to 80% of taxable income, and indefinite carryover of post‑2017 net operating losses. The Act also repealed the corporate alternative minimum tax for tax years beginning after December 31, 2017. Losses generated prior to January 1, 2018 will still be subject to the 20‑year carryforward limitation and the alternative minimum tax. Other impacts due to the Act included the repeal of the domestic manufacturing deduction, modification of taxation of controlled foreign corporations, a base erosion anti-abuse tax, modification of interest expense limitation rules, modification of limitation on deductibility of excessive executive compensation, and taxation of global intangible low-taxed income.

Modification of interest expense limitation rules under the Act provides generally that for taxable years 2018‑2021 interest expense deduction shall be limited to 30% of the EBITDA and for taxable years 2022 onwards to 30% of EBIT. Disallowed interest deduction may be carried forward indefinitely. The Company believes that any potential impact (if applicable) of this limitation will be offset by utilization of available net operating losses.

U.S. GAAP requires that the impact of tax legislation be recognized in the period in which the law was enacted.

The Company believes that all future profits of its subsidiaries will be indefinitely reinvested or that there is no expectation to distribute any taxable dividends from these subsidiaries. The determination of the amount of the unrecognized deferred tax liability related to the undistributed earnings is estimated as an immaterial amount.

b. Protalix Ltd.

The Israeli Subsidiary is taxed according to Israeli tax laws:

Tax rates

The income of the Israeli Subsidiary, other than income from “Approved Enterprises,” is taxed in Israel at the regular corporate tax rates.

In December 2016, the Economic Efficiency Law (Legislative Amendments for Implementing the Economic Policy for the 2017 and 2018 Budget Years), 2016 was published, introducing a gradual reduction in corporate tax rate from 25% to 23%. However, the law also included a temporary provision setting the corporate tax rate in 2017 at 24%. As a result, the corporate tax rate was 23% in 2018 and is 23% in 2019 and thereafter.

Capital gain on a sale of assets is subject to capital gain tax according to the corporate tax rate in effect in the year during which the assets are sold.

The Law for the Encouragement of Capital Investments, 1959 (the “Encouragement of Capital Investments Law”)

Under the Encouragement of Capital Investments Law, including Amendment No. 60 to the Encouragement of Capital Investments Law as published in April 2005, by virtue of the “Approved Enterprise” or “Benefited Enterprise” status the Israeli Subsidiary is entitled to various tax benefits as follows:

a. Reduced tax rates

Income derived from the Approved Enterprise during a 10‑year period commencing upon the year in which the enterprise first realizes taxable income is tax exempt, provided that the maximum period to which it is restricted by the Encouragement of Capital Investments Law has not elapsed.

The Israeli Subsidiary has an “Approved Enterprise” plan since 2004 and “Benefited Enterprise” plan since 2009. The period of benefits in respect of the main enterprise of the Company has not yet commenced. The period during which the Company is entitled to benefits in connection with the Benefited Enterprise expires in 2021.

If the Israeli Subsidiary subsequently pays a dividend out of income derived from the “Approved Enterprise” or “Benefited Enterprise” during the tax exemption period, it will be subject to tax on the gross amount distributed (including the company tax on these amounts), at the rate which would have been applicable if such income not been exempted.

b. Accelerated depreciation

The Israeli Subsidiary is entitled to claim accelerated depreciation, as provided by Israeli law, in the first five years of operation of each asset, in respect of buildings, machinery and equipment used by the Approved Enterprise and the Benefited Enterprise.

c. Conditions for entitlement to the benefits

The Israeli Subsidiary’s entitlement to the benefits described above is subject to its fulfillment of conditions stipulated by the law, rules and regulations published thereunder, and the instruments of approval for the specific investment in an approved enterprise. Failure by the Israeli Subsidiary to comply with these conditions may result in the cancellation of the benefits, in whole or in part, and the Subsidiary may be required to refund the amount of the benefits with interest. The Israeli Subsidiary received a final implementation approval with respect to its “Approved Enterprise” from the Investment Center.

d. Amendment of the Law for the Encouragement of Capital Investments, 1959

In recent years, several amendments have been made to the Encouragement of Capital Investments Law which have enabled new alternative benefit tracks, subject to certain conditions.

The Encouragement of Capital Investments Law was amended as part of the Economic Policy Law for the years 2011‑2012 (amendment 68 to the Encouragement of Capital Investments Law), which was passed by the Israeli Knesset on December 29, 2010. The amendment sets alternative benefit tracks to those currently in effect under the provisions of the Encouragement of Capital Investments Law. On December 29, 2016, Amendment 73 to the Encouragement of Capital Investments Law was published. This amendment sets new benefit tracks, inter alia, “Preferred Technological Enterprise” and “Special Preferred Technological Enterprise” (the “Capital Investments Law Amendment”).

To date, the Company has elected not to have the Capital Investments Law Amendment apply to the Company.

c. Tax losses carried forward to future years

As of December 31, 2019, the Company had aggregate net operating loss (“NOL”) carry-forwards equal to approximately $213.1 million that are available to reduce future taxable income as follows:

The Company

The Company’s carry-forward NOLs, equal to approximately $29.0 million (as of December 31, 2018, approximately $26 million), may be restricted under Section 382 of the Internal Revenue Code (“IRC”). IRC Section 382 applies whenever a corporation with NOL experiences an ownership change. As a result of IRC Section 382, the taxable income for any post change year that may be offset by a pre-change NOL may not exceed the general IRC Section 382 limitation, which is the fair market value of the pre-change entity multiplied by the IRC long-term tax exempt rate.

Significant judgment is required in determining any valuation allowance recorded against deferred tax assets. In assessing the need for a valuation allowance, the Company considered all available evidence, including past operating results, the most recent projections for taxable income, and prudent and feasible tax planning strategies. The Company reassesses its valuation allowance periodically and if future evidence allows for a partial or full release of the valuation allowance, a tax benefit will be recorded accordingly.

Protalix Ltd.

At December 31, 2019, the Israeli Subsidiary had approximately $184.1 million (as of December 31, 2018, approximately $185 million) of carry-forward NOLs that are available to reduce future taxable income with no limited period of use.

d. Deferred income taxes:

The components of the Company’s net deferred tax assets at December 31, 2018 and 2019 were as follows:


	December 31,
(U.S. dollars in thousands)	2018		2019
In respect of:
Research and development expenses	$	6,188	$	9,247
Other timing differences		(11)		25
Net operating loss carry forwards		49,436		50,236
Valuation allowance		(55,613)		(59,508)
		—		—

Deferred taxes are computed using the tax rates expected to be in effect when those differences reverse.

e. Reconciliation of the theoretical tax expense to actual tax expense

The main reconciling item between the statutory tax rate of the Company and the effective rate is the provision for a full valuation allowance in respect of tax benefits from carry forward tax losses due to the uncertainty of the realization of such tax benefits (see above).

f. Tax assessments

In accordance with the Income Tax Ordinance, as of December 31, 2019, all of Protalix Ltd.’s tax assessments through tax year 2014 are considered final.

A summary of open tax years by major jurisdiction is presented below:


Jurisdiction:		Years:
Israel		2015-2019
United States (*)		2015-2019

(*)Includes federal, state and local (or similar provincial jurisdictions) tax positions.