EU demands Apple pay Ireland up to 13 billion euros in tax

Maybe this is just US news, but the radio made it sound like Ireland offered Apple the tax breaks and now the EU is overriding Ireland after the fact to try to squeeze out revenue.

This would be like Texas offering better tax rates to businesses than California so that a business comes there ane then the Feds get upset and demand that the business pays a higher rate anyhow, undercutting Texas's sovereign right to set its own tax rates.

Aditionally, if they get theie way in this, it could have wide-ranging impacts on the European economies because as far as I know, the various members do not have uniform tax rates, and now those companies locted insisde the EU have noassurances that those rates are guranteed them.

originally posted by: intrptr
a reply to: mx44z

They never intended on leaving. The referendum was non binding. It was an opportunity for average people to vent their opinion, nothing more.

The proof of that is its been forgotten. When remember, it was the issue before everyone?

People are led by their opinions like sheep.

we will leave, but probably in name only.
in the two years the government has promised we will leave by, maybe the idiots that voted leave realise syria isn't in europe, so being a member of eea won't be a total shock.

a reply to: tothetenthpower

The EU could actually effect apple if they was to create rules and regulations on mobile phones like for starters the screen has to pass a drop test lol.

originally posted by: mx44z
a reply to: tothetenthpower

The EU could actually effect apple if they was to create rules and regulations on mobile phones like for starters the screen has to pass a drop test lol.

Well, I guess it would all be good with you if your country tells you that your tax rate is X% and then the comes along a year or three later and says, "Nope. We never said your country could do that! You actually owe us XX% all along so not only do you owe us XX% this year, but we are also billing you for the back taxes you didn't pay when you thought X% was what you owed ..."

I'm sure you'd be perfectly cool with that too just like you seem to think Apple should be.

a reply to: paraphi

The Apple and taxes story made public at this time is all the more interesting because of what I saw early this morning on my Twitter feed from RT about TAFTA and TTIP:

“The Americans give nothing or just crumbs… That is not how negotiations are done between allies,” Fekl said. “We need a clear and definitive halt to these negotiations in order to restart on a good foundation.” France “demands a halt to TAFTA [Transatlantic Free Trade Area] and TTIP [Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership],” he tweeted.

www.rt.com...

I'd wager there are huge rearrangements/re-alliances going on behind the scenes on a global level and only bits of them are being publicized.

originally posted by: ketsuko
Maybe this is just US news, but the radio made it sound like Ireland offered Apple the tax breaks and now the EU is overriding Ireland after the fact to try to squeeze out revenue.

This would be like Texas offering better tax rates to businesses than California so that a business comes there ane then the Feds get upset and demand that the business pays a higher rate anyhow, undercutting Texas's sovereign right to set its own tax rates.

Aditionally, if they get theie way in this, it could have wide-ranging impacts on the European economies because as far as I know, the various members do not have uniform tax rates, and now those companies locted insisde the EU have noassurances that those rates are guranteed them.

The issue isn't that Ireland has lower corporate tax rates, which is within the rules, but that they offered a specific low rate to Apple which is against the single market rules.

originally posted by: tothetenthpower
Yeah, the commission has no right to do this.

They should be after Ireland for the monies owed to the EU since they are member and Apple is not.

They simply followed the rules and regulations that the Irish developed for them. And I don't usually come to the defense of major multi-national corps, but this is just nonsense.

~Tenth

Apple were given a specific low rate below the normal rate in Ireland. This is seen as state support for industry and is against single market rules.

I suspect Apple have more than a few tax lawyers and would have been well aware of this.

Removed Spam

a reply to: stinkelbaum

You're funny. I like you avatar, too.

I want the head of apple to go on tv and hold a press conference. Make sure everyones there,and then Say I have only one thing to say to the EU leadership who wants my company to pay them Un owed taxes. Tell the cameras to zoom in on his hands then he shoots them the middle finger,drops the mike and walks off stage.

a reply to: ScepticScot

Apple were given a specific low rate below the normal rate in Ireland. This is seen as state support for industry and is against single market rules.

I suspect Apple have more than a few tax lawyers and would have been well aware of this.

Right, but the Irish government had to approve. They are the ones who are beholden to the EU laws that govern taxation.

Apple was just doing what it was legally entitled to do in the country - as per the government. But it's not news that Apple along with every other Fortune 500 wanna dodge taxes at every turn.

~Tenth

~Tenth

originally posted by: tothetenthpower
a reply to: ScepticScot

Apple were given a specific low rate below the normal rate in Ireland. This is seen as state support for industry and is against single market rules.

I suspect Apple have more than a few tax lawyers and would have been well aware of this.

Right, but the Irish government had to approve. They are the ones who are beholden to the EU laws that govern taxation.

Apple was just doing what it was legally entitled to do in the country - as per the government. But it's not news that Apple along with every other Fortune 500 wanna dodge taxes at every turn.

~Tenth

~Tenth

The point is that they weren't legally entitled or at the very least were on legally dodgy ground. A company the size of Apple would have been well aware of that.

a reply to: ketsuko

That sounds just about right.

I don't pretend to know a great deal about this, but sounds as if the EU is involved because its not getting its cut. Some unelected "official" needs a new pair of shoes, apparently.

a reply to: ScepticScot

Then if the issue is Ireland, why isn't the EU targeting Ireland for making an illegal contract?

a reply to: ScepticScot

Only Ireland is part of the EU and agrees to follow EU rules on tax. (Rules both Ireland and Apple would be very well aware of). So the EU does have authority in this case and, barring a successful appeal, Apple does owe the taxes.

EU is not saying anything about taxes to them, they are speaking of taxes owed to Ireland which they have no say in.

It is the same equivalent of the US suing a company for taxes owed to Oregon when Oregon doesn't say they owe anything.

Typical limousine socialist regressives unwilling to pay their fair share while insisting working class people pay more for their socialist dystopia ambitions.

originally posted by: tothetenthpower
Yeah, the commission has no right to do this.

They should be after Ireland for the monies owed to the EU since they are member and Apple is not.

They simply followed the rules and regulations that the Irish developed for them. And I don't usually come to the defense of major multi-national corps, but this is just nonsense.

~Tenth

That sounds alright as long as you don't equate the Irish banking system which had, maybe still has, a lot of corruption, with Irish politicians that were surely corrupt as well as incompetent. The courts are still trying to sort out the mayhem, and who knows thus far, that EU money wasn't used to fill treasury coffers instead of going where it was supposed to go directly, thereby making it easier for the government to make cozy deals like in the case of Apple, and bear in mind that Apple doesn't build its high end products in the US, and that includes the R&D as well, even Trump had things to say about that. Do you see the way it works, in reality Eire could not afford to make such deals, the place that Apple had offshore did not exist....nobody, nothing.

This won't be the end of the story either, that I'm sure of, once people start asking the right questions.

originally posted by: JDeLattre89
a reply to: ScepticScot

Only Ireland is part of the EU and agrees to follow EU rules on tax. (Rules both Ireland and Apple would be very well aware of). So the EU does have authority in this case and, barring a successful appeal, Apple does owe the taxes.

EU is not saying anything about taxes to them, they are speaking of taxes owed to Ireland which they have no say in.

It is the same equivalent of the US suing a company for taxes owed to Oregon when Oregon doesn't say they owe anything.

Part of the single market rules is prohibiting state aid to companies. A preferential tax rate to an individual company is state aid which gave Apple an unfair competitive advantage. The EU is entirely within its rights here.

a reply to: stinkelbaum

With some guy calling for conscription in Germany ( THANK God they aren't listening) c At this time,can the EU demand military forces on it's behalf?

a reply to: ScepticScot

Maybe, but its beef properly would be with Ireland who agreed to follow the EU's laws. Apple can only enter into the contract that Ireland makes with it.

The EU should be going after Ireland for making a contractual agreement in violation of laws it was in agreement with as a member state, not Apple for making a deal Ireland had not business extending to it.

The original violation seems to be on the part of Ireland here and they are the ones who should be culpable.