UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
FORM 6-K
REPORT OF FOREIGN PRIVATE ISSUER PURSUANT TO RULE 13a-16 OR 15d-16 UNDER THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934
For the month of October 2022
Commission File Number: 001-40566
TABOOLA.COM LTD.
(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)
16 Madison Square West 7th Floor
New York, NY 10010
(Address of principal executive office)
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant files or will file annual reports under cover of Form 20-F or Form 40-F:
Indicate by check mark if the registrant is submitting the Form 6-K in paper as permitted by Regulation S-T Rule 101(b)(1):
Indicate by check mark if the registrant is submitting the Form 6-K in paper as permitted by Regulation S-T Rule 101(b)(7):
On October 6, 2022, Taboola.com Ltd. (“Taboola” or the “Company”) filed a motion with the Tel Aviv District Court Economic Department (the “Israeli court”) for approval of a program of
up to $50,000,000, to be utilized, if so determined by its board of directors, in connection with a net issuance mechanism to satisfy tax withholding obligations related to equity-based compensation on behalf of its directors, officers and
other employees and possible future share repurchases. A separate announcement would be made if the Company’s board of directors were
to approve a share repurchase program.
Taboola is organized under the laws of the State of Israel. Under Israeli law, use of a net issuance mechanism to satisfy tax withholding obligations of persons who hold a company’s equity-based
awards may be deemed a share repurchase that requires, in certain cases, a court approval to protect the interests of its creditors.
Net issuance mechanisms are widely used in U.S. equity plans and do not require court approval. The Company
has broad-based equity plans in order to attract and retain talent.
A net issuance mechanism in a company’s equity plan allows the company to withhold from a grantee’s equity award (e.g., restricted stock units or options) the number of shares equal in value to the
estimated taxes due on such equity award and release the net, or remaining, number of shares to the grantee’s account. The number of shares withheld is generally based on the fair market price of the shares on a specified date or dates before the
withholding. The company then pays the relevant tax authority on behalf of the grantee from its own cash.
On October 3, 2022, the Company’s board of directors reaffirmed that the ability to use a net issuance mechanism is in the Company’s best interests because it (i) assists employees in the U.S. (and
other jurisdictions that tax the Company’s employees on the vesting and/or exercise of certain equity awards including, but not limited to, the United Kingdom, France, Spain, India, Mexico and Brazil) in managing the tax liability associated with
the vesting or exercise of equity awards, (ii) can mitigate the dilution of outstanding shares caused by the number of new shares issued under the Company’s equity award programs, and (iii) potentially reduces market disruption associated with
grantee sales to cover taxes on equity award vesting or exercise in accordance with Company vesting or exercise schedules. Accordingly, the Company is seeking approval from the Israeli court comparable to the approvals it has previously
received.
The Company’s motion, if approved as requested, would also permit the Company to engage, if so determined by
its board of directors, in share repurchase programs. Any such share repurchase program and the use of a net issuance mechanism would be subject to the aggregate $50,000,000 limit.
If granted, the approval by the Israeli court would be limited to the period specified in the Israeli court decision which is typically a six (6) month period.
Assuming the Israeli court approves the Company’s motion, the Company expects to continue to make successive requests to the Israeli court for approval to use the net issuance mechanism for the
foreseeable future for awards in the U.S. and other jurisdictions where vesting and/or exercise triggers a tax liability for the Company’s directors, officers and other employees, absent unusual circumstances, and possible future share repurchase
plans. Taxation is not currently triggered by the vesting and/or exercise of equity awards in Israel.
Forward-Looking Statements
This Report on Form 6-K (the “Form 6-K”) contains forward-looking statements. All statements contained in this Form 6-K that do not relate to matters of historical fact should be considered
forward-looking statements, including, without limitation, statements regarding the pending Israeli court approval and net issuance mechanism. These forward-looking statements are based on management’s current expectations. The Company’s current
motion or any subsequent motions may not be approved for the full amount requested or at all. The Company’s failure in whole or in part to obtain the current or any subsequent request for approval from the Israeli court could prevent or reduce
the Company’s ability to obtain the potential benefits of net issuance for itself, its employees and its shareholders. Forward-looking statements are neither promises nor guarantees, and involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other
important factors that may cause our actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from our expectations expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements, including without limitation the important factors discussed
under the caption “Risk Factors” in our annual report on Form 20-F filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) on March 24, 2022 and our other SEC filings. Any such forward-looking statements represent management’s estimates as
of the date of this Form 6-K. While we may elect to update such forward-looking statements at some point in the future, we disclaim any obligation to do so, even if subsequent events cause our views to change, except as may be required by law.
These forward-looking statements should not be relied upon as representing our views as of any date subsequent to the date of this Form 6-K.
SIGNATURE
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized.
|
TABOOLA.COM LTD.
|
|
|
|
|
|
By:
|
/s/ Stephen Walker
|
|
|
Name:
|
Stephen Walker
|
|
|
Title:
|
Chief Financial Officer
|
|
|
|
|
Date: October 6, 2022
|
|
|
|