From the desk of Oran Yehiel

Israeli founder at a wooden desk holding an unopened US IRS envelope, expression of concern, laptop with tax preparation interface in soft focus, late afternoon office light

Form 5472: The $25,000 Mistake Foreign-Owned US LLCs Make

Foreign-owned single-member US LLCs must file Form 5472 yearly. Miss it: $25,000 per form. Who must file, what counts, and how to fix missed years.

10 min read · Tax

Israeli founder reviewing a US state-by-state SaaS sales tax dashboard on a large monitor in a modern office with notebook and coffee cup

The US Sales Tax Trap for Israeli SaaS Founders (State-by-State Guide)

Wayfair forced every state to set economic nexus rules. Here are the 2026 thresholds, taxability, and the playbook before a state finds you first.

10 min read · Tax

Israeli founder reviewing US R&D tax credit calculations at a wooden desk with a calculator, notebook, and US tax forms in late afternoon office light

The US R&D Tax Credit (Section 41) Israeli Founders Keep Missing

Up to $500K per year in payroll-tax offsets. Most Israeli-owned US C-corps with US engineers leave it on the table.

9 min read · Tax

Israeli founder studying a 5-year calendar marked with milestones at a wooden desk with US stock certificate template and calculator showing a large number, late afternoon office light

Section 1202 QSBS for Israeli Founders: Up to $15M Tax-Free on Exit

Section 1202 QSBS can exclude up to $15M in capital gains on a C-corp exit. Israeli founders rarely structure for it. Here is how the rules actually apply.

11 min read · Tax

Israeli founder studying two contrasting incorporation document folders on a wooden desk, one labeled in Hebrew and one in English, late afternoon office light

When to Flip Your Israeli Company to Delaware (And When Not To)

Most Israeli founders flip to Delaware too early. Here is when a Delaware flip actually makes sense, the IIA grant trap, and what it really costs.

12 min read · Operations

Israeli founder at a wooden desk reviewing a printed US finance setup checklist next to a laptop, calculator, and coffee mug in warm morning light

Before Your First US Customer: The 23-Point Finance Setup Most Israeli Founders Get Wrong

A working checklist from the desk of an Israeli CPA who has cleaned up this exact problem hundreds of times.

7 min read · Operations

Israeli founder at a wooden desk reviewing a printed US employee compensation breakdown with calculator, laptop, and pen, late afternoon office light

Hiring Your First American Employee: The Loaded Cost Framework for Israeli Founders

Why a $150,000 US salary actually costs $195,000 to $215,000 a year. PEO vs EOR vs direct payroll, the loaded cost math, the classification traps.

12 min read · Operations

Israeli founder reviewing a US-Israel tax treaty document at a wooden desk with both a US and Israeli passport visible nearby, calculator and notebook with handwritten withholding calculations, late afternoon office light

The US-Israel Tax Treaty: A Practical Guide for Israeli Founders

The US-Israel tax treaty reduces withholding, resolves dual residency, and prevents double taxation. Here is how to actually apply it as an Israeli founder.

11 min read · Tax

Israeli founder reviewing a printed US venture capital term sheet at a wooden desk with handwritten notes in the margins, calculator, laptop, and a pen, late afternoon office light

Fundraising

US VC Term Sheet Red Flags for Israeli Founders

The clauses Israeli founders sign blind in US VC term sheets. Option pool shuffle, liquidation prefs, anti-dilution, board control. What to fix.

13 min read · Fundraising

Israeli founder reviewing a SAFE agreement at a wooden desk with a printed cap table, dual currency notes, laptop, and pen, late afternoon office light

Fundraising

Pre-Flip Fundraising: Raising From US Angels on a SAFE Without Setting Up Delaware

How Israeli founders raise from US angels on SAFEs before a Delaware flip. Modified SAFE structures, the cap table math, when it works.

13 min read · Fundraising

Israeli founder reviewing a thick US enterprise contract at a wooden desk with pen, laptop, calculator, and a printed MSA marked with notes, late afternoon office light

Go-to-Market

The First US Enterprise Customer Playbook for Israeli Founders

The first US enterprise customer changes everything for an Israeli founder. MSA review, pricing, SOC 2 timing, payment terms. What to actually do.

12 min read · Go-to-Market

Israeli founder reviewing visa application paperwork at a wooden desk with an Israeli passport, US Department of State envelope, laptop, and pen, late afternoon office light

Immigration

The Founder Visa Decision Tree: E-2, O-1, and EB-1 for Israeli Founders

The E-2, O-1, and EB-1 visa decision for Israeli founders. How each pathway shapes your corporate structure, equity, and tax residency.

13 min read · Immigration

Israeli founder reviewing a 409A valuation report at a wooden desk with calculator, laptop, printed cap table, and a stock option grant document, late afternoon office light

409A Valuations for Israeli-Owned Delaware C-Corps: The Founder's Guide

The 409A valuation for Israeli-owned Delaware C-corps. When required, what it costs, IRS safe harbor, and why skipping it ends careers.

12 min read · Operations

SOC 2 for Israeli SaaS Founders: The Implementation Roadmap

A SOC 2 implementation roadmap for Israeli SaaS founders. Type 1 vs Type 2, timeline, platform options, audit cost, and cross-border coordination.

12 min read · Operations

Israeli founder at a wooden conference table reviewing board meeting materials and a board consent document, with laptop, printed cap table, and pen, late afternoon office light

Building a US Board of Directors as an Israeli Founder: Composition, Compensation, and the D&O Question

Building a US board of directors as an Israeli founder. Composition, independent director comp, indemnification, D&O, and cross-border boards.

12 min read · Operations

Israeli founder reviewing US business insurance policies at a wooden desk with printed certificates of insurance, a customer MSA marked with insurance requirements, laptop, and pen, late afternoon office light

The US Business Insurance Stack for Israeli-Owned Companies: Cyber, GL, E&O, and D&O

The full US business insurance stack for Israeli-owned companies. Cyber, GL, E&O, D&O. What costs, when, and why foreign founders face friction.

12 min read · Operations

Israeli founder at a wooden desk late in the evening on a video call with US colleagues, two clocks on the wall showing Tel Aviv and US time, laptop and notepad, warm desk lamp light

Time Zone Strategy: Running US Operations From Tel Aviv

Running US operations from Israel across a 7 to 10 hour gap. Support hours, sales windows, engineering handoffs, and when to move a founder to the US.

11 min read · Operations

Multi-Currency Treasury for Israeli-Owned US Companies: Managing USD and ILS Together

Managing USD and ILS across an Israeli-owned US company. FX exposure, natural hedging, cash management, intercompany flows, and treasury tools.

11 min read · Operations

US Office Leases and the Personal Guarantee Trap for Israeli Founders

How Israeli founders avoid the personal guarantee trap on US office leases. Good Guy Guarantees, security deposits, subleases, and what to negotiate.

11 min read · Operations