EU says Irish government hasn't handed over full data in Apple tax case

AppleInsiderAppleInsider
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Ireland has yet to supply all the data asked for by the European Commission in its investigation of the country's tax deals with Apple, a spokesman for the organization said on Wednesday.




Ireland "did not reply in full to the Commission's last request for information, which is why the Commission has sent a reminder to Ireland to request the missing data," Ricardo Cardoso wrote in an email received by Bloomberg. The exact nature of the absent data wasn't specified.

Nevertheless, the Irish Finance Ministry issued a statement of its own, insisting that it has "comprehensively addressed" the Commission's concerns and that "the appropriate amount of Irish tax was charged in accordance with the relevant legislation."

The Commission is still investigating whether Ireland extended illegal state aid to Apple in the form of preferential tax deals. Should a ruling support that argument, the Irish government could be asked to collection billions of dollars in back taxes, though both Apple and Ireland are likely to appeal.

On Tuesday Apple's VP of European operations, Cathy Kearney, appeared in front of the European Parliament and insisted that Apple has "paid every cent of tax" it owes. Regardless of what happens, the company is "committed to Ireland," she said.

Comments

  • Reply 1 of 5
    ceek74ceek74 Posts: 324member
    Geez.  Over here in the states, not having all relevant data is considered to be more than enough data to decide a case.
  • Reply 2 of 5
    SpamSandwichSpamSandwich Posts: 33,407member
    Be prepared to buy a significant chunk of Ireland for relocation purposes, Tim. ;)
  • Reply 3 of 5
    entropysentropys Posts: 4,166member
    Must suck to be a sovereign democracy having to justify itself to a bunch of Eurocrats. Did Ireland realise what it was signing up for? The Commission is calling in its pound of flesh.
    A telling lesson for corporations considering investing anywhere in the EU too.
    edited March 2016
  • Reply 4 of 5
    jony0jony0 Posts: 378member
    Ireland has yet to supply all the data asked for by the European Commission in its investigation of the country's tax deals with Apple, a spokesman for the organization said on Wednesday.

    Ireland "did not reply in full to the Commission's last request for information, which is why the Commission has sent a reminder to Ireland to request the missing data," Ricardo Cardoso wrote in an email received by Bloomberg. The exact nature of the absent data wasn't specified.
    The missing data that was requested specifically directed Ireland to include anything, anything at all, that could remotely or even obtusely justify picking Apple's big pockets. Surely there must be an underhanded reason for their tremendous success. The Commission has also stated that Ireland has not yet complied and will be coerced until they do. Slight fabrications or exaggerations are perfectly acceptable since it is an American company competing in the EU.
    edited March 2016
  • Reply 5 of 5
    ChampionPowerChampionPower Posts: 52member
    Well this is what happens when one establishes a hierarch of levels of government- more bureaucracy, less degree of autonomy and decisions that often go against the nationalistic grain.  I'd like to see more European nations withdraw from the EU the same way they withdrew of the old League of Nations.
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