Apple came to Ireland to build a community, not skirt taxes, Tim Cook says

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in General Discussion
On his European tour this week, Apple's CEO visited Ireland, and talked about taxes, the abandoned Athenry data center and the company's commitment to the country.

Tim Cook Ireland


Apple's Tim Cook this week visited the Netherlands and Ireland, and in the latter country, Cook sought to reassure the Irish that Apple remains committed to staying there. This is despite the recent cancellation of the Athenry data center project, as well as Apple's ongoing tax dispute, in which Apple paid $15.3 billion last month.

On the visit, Cook celebrated Apple's campus expansion at its European headquarters in Cork.

Had a wonderful time back in Cork visiting our Apple family and friends. See you again soon! pic.twitter.com/V0KawUEJRv

-- Tim Cook (@tim_cook)


"Honestly speaking, we didn't come to Ireland for tax," Cook said, as reported by The Irish Times, "We came to Ireland in 1980 because we saw a community we thought we could grow, and could do a number of things to support the continent. We've stayed on course on that over almost four decades. It hasn't been a straight line - life isn't a straight line, things go up and down - but it's always been in a trajectory that is increasing. I don't anticipate that changing."

Apple has 6,000 employees in Ireland, as well as 17,000 app developers and more than 300 suppliers.

Apple's cancelled data center


The data center plan was scuttled following years of legal challenges, with Apple declaring that "we're deeply committed to our employees and customers in Ireland and are expanding our operations in Cork, with a new facility for our talented team there."
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Comments

  • Reply 1 of 49
    rwx9901rwx9901 Posts: 100member
    Gotta love these fake sanctimony statements from high profile corporations.  They're not their for the community.  The good (and bad) of what they bring to a community is a bi-product of their way of doing business.  They're #1 obligation is to their shareholders.  Period.  But, it makes them and the people around them feel better if they make it appear their #1 priority is to better communities.
    edited June 2018 avon b7croprmike54aylk1983larrya[Deleted User]
  • Reply 2 of 49
    SpamSandwichSpamSandwich Posts: 33,407member
    Oh, come on. I’m in favor of Apple using every legal means of minimizing their taxes, as that is their fiduciary responsibility to shareholders, but that is an absurd “PC” statement from Cook. OF COURSE Apple located in Ireland to protect their interests from high taxes, they’d be idiots otherwise. Just because companies exist to make a profit does not make them “evil”. Making a profit by giving people things and services they want is one of the most noble pursuits in life. Own it!
    racerhomie3mike54cornchipdoozydozenGeorgeBMac[Deleted User]
  • Reply 3 of 49
    nunzynunzy Posts: 662member
    Tim said it.

    I believe it.

    And that's it.
  • Reply 4 of 49
    When someone begins a statement with "Honestly speaking" it is a fairly reasonable indicator that they are not speaking honestly. It's like using "no offence" or "I'm not a racist, but ..."; they tend to be followed up with offensive or racist verbiage.
    avon b7dws-278Banditmuthuk_vanalingamdewmemike54aylk1983GeorgeBMac[Deleted User]
  • Reply 5 of 49
    SpamSandwichSpamSandwich Posts: 33,407member
    nunzy said:
    Tim said it.

    I believe it.

    And that's it.
    Tim was not the guy who decided to legally move Apple IP to Ireland to shield it from excessive taxation. That was Peter Oppenheimer, Steve Jobs and possibly the Apple board of directors.

    What Tim says today is his interpretation of events or he’s playing politics to make nice with the EU.
    edited June 2018 avon b7dws-278Banditnunzycornchip[Deleted User]
  • Reply 6 of 49
    dws-2dws-2 Posts: 276member
    Choosing your words carefully so you're not lying is not the same thing as being honest.
    SpamSandwichmuthuk_vanalingamdoozydozen1983GeorgeBMac[Deleted User]
  • Reply 7 of 49
    anton zuykovanton zuykov Posts: 1,056member
    When someone begins a statement with "Honestly speaking" it is a fairly reasonable indicator that they are not speaking honestly. It's like using "no offence" or "I'm not a racist, but ..."; they tend to be followed up with offensive or racist verbiage.
    Just like ( by the same logic of yours)the phrase “ it is a fairly reasonable indicator” means it is not a reasonable indicator at all. So, you have kind of chopped off your own legs here...
    There is a problem with swiping generalizations which is - it gets applied to you eventually..
    edited June 2018 SpamSandwichcornchipdoozydozen
  • Reply 8 of 49
    SpamSandwichSpamSandwich Posts: 33,407member
    When someone begins a statement with "Honestly speaking" it is a fairly reasonable indicator that they are not speaking honestly. It's like using "no offence" or "I'm not a racist, but ..."; they tend to be followed up with offensive or racist verbiage.
    Just like ( by the same logic of yours)the phrase “ it is a fairly reasonable indicator” meaning that it is not a reasonable indicator at all. So, you have kind of shopped off your own legs here...
    LOL! 
    doozydozenanton zuykov
  • Reply 9 of 49
    spice-boyspice-boy Posts: 1,450member
    Oh Tim, just because lying is the new truth for some people don't mean you got to do it too. 
    edited June 2018 dewmecornchippropodGeorgeBMac[Deleted User]
  • Reply 10 of 49
    KuyangkohKuyangkoh Posts: 838member
    EU is a corrupt and not serving thier members equally.....glad the Brits are smart enough to see the lights....
    SpamSandwichtallest skiltechconc
  • Reply 11 of 49
    jameskatt2jameskatt2 Posts: 720member
    Tim Cook is Apple CEO FOR LIFE. Period.
  • Reply 12 of 49
    ceek74ceek74 Posts: 324member
    Anytime you start with "honestly...", there's a lie to follow.
    dewmecornchipJohnnyCanadian
  • Reply 13 of 49
    crowleycrowley Posts: 10,453member
    This is laughable. Of course Apple are in Ireland for their tax rate, that's not at all controversial, or even much of a reason for criticising Apple.  Tim is either lying through his teeth, or getting wrapped up in Apple delusions to a ludicrous degree.

    No one with an ounce of sense would believe this for a second.
    mike54aylkpropodsingularity
  • Reply 14 of 49
    78Bandit78Bandit Posts: 238member
    When someone begins a statement with "Honestly speaking" it is a fairly reasonable indicator that they are not speaking honestly. It's like using "no offence" or "I'm not a racist, but ..."; they tend to be followed up with offensive or racist verbiage.
    Just like ( by the same logic of yours)the phrase “ it is a fairly reasonable indicator” means it is not a reasonable indicator at all. So, you have kind of chopped off your own legs here...
    There is a problem with swiping generalizations which is - it gets applied to you eventually..
    Wow, that's some convoluted logic there. Because one assertion is a generalization (that may or may not be true) then all all subjective assertions must be inherently wrong? Do you disagree with the assertion people who preface a statement with "no offense" or "not being racist" do indeed generally follow up with something that will likely be perceived as racist or offensive?
    aylkJohnnyCanadian
  • Reply 15 of 49
    macxpressmacxpress Posts: 5,801member
    This was actually one of Steve's pet projects, but god forbid we EVER say anything negative about Steve. He was GOD!
    bb-15
  • Reply 16 of 49
    SoliSoli Posts: 10,035member
    What Cook said: "Honestly speaking, we didn't come to Ireland for tax."

    What Cook meant: "Of course we came to Ireland for low taxes, but that also allows us to put some of those savings back into the community. Both Apple and Ireland benefit."
    fractaldreams
  • Reply 17 of 49
    SoliSoli Posts: 10,035member
    When someone begins a statement with "Honestly speaking" it is a fairly reasonable indicator that they are not speaking honestly. It's like using "no offence" or "I'm not a racist, but ..."; they tend to be followed up with offensive or racist verbiage.
    Just like ( by the same logic of yours)the phrase “ it is a fairly reasonable indicator” means it is not a reasonable indicator at all. So, you have kind of chopped off your own legs here...
    There is a problem with swiping generalizations which is - it gets applied to you eventually..
    I don't follow. An over-the-counter home pregnancy test is a fairly reasonable indicator that one is likely pregnant, but it's not absolute, nor should it be assumed that it. The test doesn't test for pregnancy, but for the hormone called human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) being present in the urine. This hormone tends to be created after a fertilized egg attaches to the wall of the uterus. But that doesn't mean the egg is still attached, the hormone wasn't released for other reasons, or that the test strip could be faulty, hence why a reasonable person would qualify a statement with something that isn't an unwavering absolute. Even if the statistical likelihood of a false positive was less than 1% you shouldn't still should state is a certainty.
    aylkJohnnyCanadian
  • Reply 18 of 49
    xbitxbit Posts: 390member
    I believe Tim Cook when he says that Apple didn’t established an office in Ireland in 1980 for tax reasons. However, Apple’s Ireland base has certainly been a convenient vehicle for dodging taxes in recent years.
  • Reply 19 of 49
    SpamSandwichSpamSandwich Posts: 33,407member
    xbit said:
    I believe Tim Cook when he says that Apple didn’t established an office in Ireland in 1980 for tax reasons. However, Apple’s Ireland base has certainly been a convenient vehicle for dodging taxes in recent years.
    Not "dodging", minimizing. There's nothing immoral about tax minimization because there's nothing moral about tax collecting.
    entropys
  • Reply 20 of 49
    spice-boyspice-boy Posts: 1,450member
    Kuyangkoh said:
    EU is a corrupt and not serving thier members equally.....glad the Brits are smart enough to see the lights....
    ha ha ha
    aylk1983
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