Israeli Company Lookup

Step 1: Identify the Need

Step 2: Company Search

Search the Israel Corporations Authority:

• URL: https://ica.justice.gov.il/GenericCorporarionInfo/SearchCorporation
• Search by: Company name (Hebrew or English) or company number
• Results: Name, number, type, status (active/dissolved/in liquidation), registration date

Step 3: Entity Type Comparison

Step 4: Registration Steps (Chevra Baam -- most common)

1. Choose unique company name (check availability at Rasham)
2. Draft Articles of Association (takanon)
3. File incorporation documents at Rasham HaChevarot
4. Pay registration fee (~2,600 NIS (verify at ica.justice.gov.il))
5. Receive Certificate of Incorporation (teuda le-hitaagdut)
6. Register with Tax Authority for income tax and VAT
7. Open business bank account with incorporation certificate
8. Register with Bituach Leumi as employer (if hiring)

Example 1: Company Lookup

User says: "Look up the company Monday.com" Result: Monday.com Ltd, Company No. 51-530820-1, Status: Active, Type: Public Company (listed on NASDAQ)

Example 2: Choose Entity Type

User says: "I'm a freelance developer, what business structure should I use?" Result: Compare Osek Morsheh (simplest) vs. Chevra Baam (limited liability). Recommend Osek Morsheh for starting, switch to Chevra Baam when annual revenue exceeds ~400K NIS or liability protection needed.

Example 3: Compare Entity Types

User says: "I'm starting a business in Israel, should I register as an Osek Murshe or a Chevra?" Actions:

1. Compare entity types (Osek Patur, Osek Murshe, Ltd company) by criteria -- tax rates, liability, NI contributions, compliance burden, VAT obligations Result: Side-by-side comparison table with recommendation based on expected annual turnover.

Scripts

• scripts/search_company.py — Display Israeli business entity types (Chevra Baam, Osek Morsheh, Amuta, etc.) with side-by-side comparison of liability, tax rates, and registration requirements, plus step-by-step Chevra Baam incorporation instructions. Supports subcommands: entity-types, compare, registration-steps. Run: python scripts/search_company.py --help

References

• references/entity-types.md — Comprehensive table of all 8 Israeli business entity types with their registries, liability structures, tax rates, and company number format prefixes (51- for companies, 58- for non-profits, 55- for partnerships). Consult when advising users on entity type selection or interpreting company registration numbers.

Error: "Company not found"

Cause: Name spelling mismatch or company registered under different name Solution: Try Hebrew name, or search by company number if available. Some companies register with English names different from their trading name.

Error: "Company number format invalid"

Cause: Israeli company numbers (Chevra) are 9 digits; sole proprietor numbers match their TZ (ID); partnership and amuta numbers differ Solution: Verify the entity type first. Companies: 51-XXXXXXX (9 digits), Amutot: 58-XXXXXXX, Partnerships: 55-XXXXXXX. Use the Rasham HaChevarot search to validate.

Error: "Entity type confusion (Osek Patur vs Osek Morsheh)"

Cause: Users confuse tax registration types with company registration types Solution: Osek Patur/Morsheh are VAT registration types at the Tax Authority (SHAAM), not company types at the Registrar of Companies. A person can be an Osek Morsheh without registering a company. Clarify the user's actual need: business entity lookup vs. tax registration status.