Apple faces €13bn Tax Bill in Ireland

[Fidel_Castronaut]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-37220799

Ireland should recover up to €13bn (£11bn) from Apple in back taxes, the European Commission has ruled.

After a three-year investigation, it has concluded that the US firm's Irish tax benefits are illegal.

The Commission said Ireland enabled the company to pay substantially less than other businesses, in effect paying a corporate tax rate of no more than 1%.

0.005% I believe according to tax experts (cited in the article).

[Pat Mustard]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-37220799

Ireland should recover up to €13bn (£11bn) from Apple in back taxes, the European Commission has ruled.

After a three-year investigation, it has concluded that the US firm's Irish tax benefits are illegal.

The Commission said Ireland enabled the company to pay substantially less than other businesses, in effect paying a corporate tax rate of no more than 1%.

0.005% I believe according to tax experts (cited in the article).

Of course our glorious leader has announced many times that he's going to fight this ruling tooth and nail. The good of a multinational tax evader is naturally more important than the good of 4.6m people.

[Aractus]

I've said it before and I'll say it again. Apple is a cunt of a company.

[account_inactive]

I've said it before and I'll say it again. Apple is a cunt of a company.

And why's that?

[Aractus]

Because they flout the law, like this:

And they don't pay tax in Australia. Any company that doesn't pay its fair share of tax - Microsoft, Apple, Google - is a cunt of a company, but Apple is by far the worst. At least Microsoft and Google didn't refuse to honour Australian consumer law (statutory warranties, now consumer guarantees which all products and services are covered by under the consumer law).

[Anomalocaris]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-37220799


0.005% I believe according to tax experts (cited in the article).

Of course our glorious leader has announced many times that he's going to fight this ruling tooth and nail. The good of a multinational tax evader is naturally more important than the good of 4.6m people.

Actually,  what seems to be missed here is the apple's not paying taxes is not culpably illegal.  Irish government, after all, should be the authority to which Apple look to clarify the legality of its tax situation.

It is the Irish government that did a illegal thing, under obligations it committed to by joining the EU, by allowing Apple to pay effectively no taxes.

So the party at fault here is not Apple.

[Pat Mustard]

Of course our glorious leader has announced many times that he's going to fight this ruling tooth and nail. The good of a multinational tax evader is naturally more important than the good of 4.6m people.

Actually,  what seems to be missed here is the apple's not paying taxes is not culpably illegal.  Irish government, after all, should be the authority to which Apple look to clarify the legality of its tax situation.

It is the Irish government that did a illegal thing, under obligations it committed to by joining the EU, by allowing Apple to pay effectively no taxes.

So the party at fault here is not Apple.

Actually, by agreeing to the tax arrangement, and in fact lobbying for it, Apple are at best an accessory to the breach of European law and more likely at least as guilty as the Irish politicians. Or do you think this happened without the knowledge, concent and gleeful participation by Apple?

[Anomalocaris]

Actually,  what seems to be missed here is the apple's not paying taxes is not culpably illegal.  Irish government, after all, should be the authority to which Apple look to clarify the legality of its tax situation.

It is the Irish government that did a illegal thing, under obligations it committed to by joining the EU, by allowing Apple to pay effectively no taxes.

So the party at fault here is not Apple.

Actually, by agreeing to the tax arrangement, and in fact lobbying for it, Apple are at best an accessory to the breach of European law and more likely at least as guilty as the Irish politicians. Or do you think this happened without the knowledge, concent and gleeful participation by Apple?

Apple is an accessory to knowing its own best interest.   If it weren't it would have been out of business in the 1970s. Pursuing its own best interest within the full range of freedoms afforded it by prevailing regulatory authority it is what it does. It has no legal responsibility to second guess the range of freedom to pursue its self interest provided to it by the government of Ireland.    The government of Ireland is responsible for knowing the degree to which Apple can pursue its own best interest without harming the greater interest of Ireland and Irish commitment to the EU.  Not knowing that is culpable incompetence.

[Pat Mustard]

Apple is an accessory to knowing its own best interest.   If it weren't it would have been out of business in the 1970s.   Pursuing its own best interest within the full range of freedoms afforded it by prevailing regulatory authority it is what it does.   It has no legal responsibility to second guess the range of freedom to pursue its self interest provided to it by the government of Ireland.    The government of Ireland is responsible for knowing the degree to which Apple can pursue its own best interest without harming the greater interest of Ireland and Irish commitment to the EU.  Not knowing that is culpable incompetence.

This defence wouldn't cut it in a murder case, so why should it cut it in a tax case? Apple knowingly underpaid its taxes through diverting money it earned in countries where it had no special arrangements with the government towards a country where it did have this special arrangement. It did not arrive at this special arrangement through the sole agency of the government of Ireland but through fierce lobbying, political donations and all those other arrangements we call regulatory capture because bribery is such a nasty word.

If that's not guilt and criminal behaviour, we might as well get rid of all law.

[The Grand Nudger]

"I called last year and the man said I didn't owe anything"
-that guy was wrong, I don't know why he said that, you do.
"But he said..."
-Imma stop you right there.

Apple engaged in tax evasion. They'll settle for a smaller sum, like they always do.