The Netherlands is as well. Many large companies have PO Box offices there.
Did you see the photo with the article? Apple has more than a PO Box in Ireland. It has a whole assembly, service and distribution centre: which is why most of the revenue for Europe, Africa and Middle East goes through Ireland -- all the hardware is wholesaled from there to all the resellers in the whole region, including Apple Stores; and online sales are fulfilled from there.
And . . . cue the Euro-bashers. Do you have an automatic notification Gyfor whenever the EU or an EU country is mentioned so you can post something negative?
Do you know of any other country in the world where such a low tax rate as Apple was getting is allowed? I'm really curious to know.
Apple made a completely legal and binding agreement with Ireland. If Ireland (allegedly) violated EU law, that is their fault, not Apple’s.
Apart from the charge is that the agreement was not legal from 2007. Any previous agreement became null and void at that point and thus the rate Apple paid became illegal state aid.
Agree, especially after they say they’ll drop court proceedings. Apple and Ireland should call the EU’s bluff and go to court as long as the court isn’t in bed with EU commissioners.
Apple is going to court. The money is going into a trust account as Apple and Ireland both expect Apple to prevail.
I think that will change if Ireland agrees with the EU on the amount of taxes due and bills Apple accordingly. The EU is saying they'd have no reason to continue pursuing once Ireland has identified what Apple legally owes, that the amount is pretty much in line with what the EU Commission came up with which it apparently is, and moves to collect it.
Agree, especially after they say they’ll drop court proceedings. Apple and Ireland should call the EU’s bluff and go to court as long as the court isn’t in bed with EU commissioners.
Apple is going to court. The money is going into a trust account as Apple and Ireland both expect Apple to prevail.
I think that will change if Ireland agrees with the EU on the amount of taxes due and bills Apple accordingly. The EU is saying they'd have no reason to continue pursuing once Ireland has identified what Apple legally owes, that the amount is pretty much in line with what the EU Commission came up with which it apparently is, and moves to collect it.
I suppose Ireland could make a nice show of collecting a large novelty check made out to the EU from Apple, then on the down low issue Apple a rebate for some of the fraudulently acquired lucre.
I just find this strange. The Country made a deal with Taxes on what they wanted to collect. They don't want this 16 billion. They're on Apple's side, and the EU is forcing them to collect it. The EU will do pretty much anything to get they hands on very large sums of American company's money.
First of all the EU will not get that money, the Irish government can spent the collected taxes: to reduce its debt, to invest in infrastructure, ...
The fact that Apple has only paid 0.005% taxes while the normal tax rate in Ireland is 12.5% is considered as illegal state aid by the EU Commission. Or in other words Ireland has given Apple an unfair tax advantage, damaging the competitors of Apple. And that is forbidden in the EU.
I don't know whether this claim from the EU Commission is justified or not, but I do know that the European Commission almost always win this cases before the European Court.
If you think that the EU commission targets US companies, you are wrong. Most cases of illegal state aid are related to European companies, but these don't appear in a the US press.
I love it. This would be like me suing you for a million dollars and then coming out and saying "if you pay me a million dollars, I'll drop the case." How is that news?
It would be more like saying that even though you assisted someone to defraud me of one million dollars, if they reimburse me then I will not pursue you for your own separate illegal actions. Not that I understand the tax complexities in this but just clearing up a bad analogy.
Whole load of crybabies in here. Even after this, Apple's corporation tax in the EU will be 12%, way lower than practically anywhere else, including your precious US even after the Trump giveaways. If the illegal arrangement had never happened in the first place then in all probability Apple would have located its operations base in Ireland anyway, and paid 12% anyway. They got away with pulling a fast one for 10 years, and now they've got to pay up, but they're literally not a cent worse off than they would have been.
Is the EU even asking for interest on $16bn over 10 years? Probably not. Apple are walking away smiling.
Apple should just move out of Ireland since its Ireland that actually fracked them by promising something they could not deliver.
Where will they go? Ireland, Cyprus and Malta are the only countries in the EU with the preferable taxations. Ireland is big enough to afford expanding operations.
The Netherlands is as well. Many large companies have PO Box offices there.
I live in the Netherlands and it would be horrible for Apple here. Huge corporate tax % and the B.V. isn't as limited liability wise as Apple would want..
Comments
Did you see the photo with the article? Apple has more than a PO Box in Ireland. It has a whole assembly, service and distribution centre: which is why most of the revenue for Europe, Africa and Middle East goes through Ireland -- all the hardware is wholesaled from there to all the resellers in the whole region, including Apple Stores; and online sales are fulfilled from there.
The fact that Apple has only paid 0.005% taxes while the normal tax rate in Ireland is 12.5% is considered as illegal state aid by the EU Commission. Or in other words Ireland has given Apple an unfair tax advantage, damaging the competitors of Apple. And that is forbidden in the EU.
I don't know whether this claim from the EU Commission is justified or not, but I do know that the European Commission almost always win this cases before the European Court.
If you think that the EU commission targets US companies, you are wrong. Most cases of illegal state aid are related to European companies, but these don't appear in a the US press.
Is the EU even asking for interest on $16bn over 10 years? Probably not. Apple are walking away smiling.
Get over it, whiners.