Tim Cook getting award for Apple's 40 years of investment in Ireland

Posted:
in General Discussion edited January 2020
During a visit with Ireland's prime minister, CEO Tim Cook will be given an award to mark four decades of Apple investing in the country.

Apple Cork Ireland


Apple is to be honored with an award from Ireland's Taoiseach, or prime minister, Leo Varadkar, when Tim Cook visits Dublin later this month. It's in recognition of how Apple has continuously invested in the country for four decades.

According to Bloomberg, the award will be presented during the visit on January 20.

Apple is one of Ireland's largest employers, but in 2019 it topped the Irish Times list of biggest companies predominantly because of tax reasons. Ireland's entire population is around 4.84 million and there are no Apple Stores in the region.

Yet because its Ireland operation acts as an international hub, Apple recorded sales through it of approximately $133.67 billion in 2019.

Ireland's tax laws have long benefited Apple, but since 2016 both the company and the Irish government have been embroiled in a disagreement with the European Union. The EU imposed a $15 billion tax bill, asserting that Ireland had granted Apple unfair deals.

Apple paid the bill but, in conjunction with the Irish government, has been appealing the ruling.

Comments

  • Reply 1 of 18
    #1 Tax Dodger Award? Lol

    Nice job Ireland! ...poking the EU in the eye with this award.



  • Reply 2 of 18
    maestro64maestro64 Posts: 5,043member
    #1 Tax Dodger Award? Lol

    Nice job Ireland! ...poking the EU in the eye with this award.



    Ireland better hope that Apple does not decide to do something different now with Brexit and other things going on in the EU to rain in the unelected bureaucratics in the EU making it hard for everyone to do business. 
  • Reply 3 of 18
    MacProMacPro Posts: 19,718member
    maestro64 said:
    #1 Tax Dodger Award? Lol

    Nice job Ireland! ...poking the EU in the eye with this award.



    Ireland better hope that Apple does not decide to do something different now with Brexit and other things going on in the EU to rain in the unelected bureaucratics in the EU making it hard for everyone to do business. 
    Good Point and good idea.  I bet Boris would love to make a deal with Tim going forward.
    edited January 2020
  • Reply 4 of 18
    wood1208wood1208 Posts: 2,905member
    Unlike many(including some Americans), others see good thing done by Apple to there country.
    badmonk
  • Reply 5 of 18
    uraharaurahara Posts: 733member
    #1 Tax Dodger Award? Lol

    Nice job Ireland! ...poking the EU in the eye with this award.



    Are you just a troll or just an ignorant person? 
    EU wants some money from the huge and tasty apple pie. Their agenda is clear - try getting money even though everything was done correctly from the legal perspective. 
    What’s your agenda?
  • Reply 6 of 18
    mknelsonmknelson Posts: 1,118member
    Apple had 5000 employees in Ireland in 2018 (with an additional 1000 expected at the time). That's more staff than required for a Tax Dodge.
    sidrictheviking
  • Reply 7 of 18
    SpamSandwichSpamSandwich Posts: 33,407member
    maestro64 said:
    #1 Tax Dodger Award? Lol

    Nice job Ireland! ...poking the EU in the eye with this award.



    Ireland better hope that Apple does not decide to do something different now with Brexit and other things going on in the EU to rain in the unelected bureaucratics in the EU making it hard for everyone to do business. 
    Sounds like Brexit and a completely new trade deal with the US could make England a better prospect for future business.
  • Reply 8 of 18
    gatorguygatorguy Posts: 24,176member
    mknelson said:
    Apple had 5000 employees in Ireland in 2018 (with an additional 1000 expected at the time). That's more staff than required for a Tax Dodge.
    Excellent article here explaining why so many employees are needed
    https://www.irishtimes.com/business/technology/apple-s-secretive-cork-facility-opens-up-to-an-extent-1.3346124
    sidricthevikingsacto joe
  • Reply 9 of 18
    hentaiboyhentaiboy Posts: 1,252member
    Inside Apple Cork


  • Reply 10 of 18
    hentaiboyhentaiboy Posts: 1,252member
  • Reply 11 of 18
     Apple have a store in Ireland, in the north of the island, (occupied British bit) in the city of Belfast. Tiocfaidh ár lá.

  • Reply 12 of 18
    Brexit makes Apple’s position in Ireland, stronger not weaker. Apple needs access to the EU single market not the, soon to be tiny in comparison, UK market. Ireland will be the only English speaking county in the EU and will remain the preferred doorway for US multinationals into the EU. Brexit is bad news for Irish agriculture and good news for corporate investment. Double edged sword. 

    Many corporations are exiting the UK and relocating to Ireland and other EU countries as they need market access. Why would Apple do the opposite?
    edited January 2020
  • Reply 13 of 18
    maestro64 said:
    #1 Tax Dodger Award? Lol

    Nice job Ireland! ...poking the EU in the eye with this award.



    Ireland better hope that Apple does not decide to do something different now with Brexit and other things going on in the EU to rain in the unelected bureaucratics in the EU making it hard for everyone to do business. 
    You seem to know what you’re talking about @maestro64 , exactly which part of the EU is unelected? 

    Don’t bother, I’ll tell you - none. Your just spouting a right-wing talking point not based in fact. Both ‘houses’ of the EU are elected. One directly and one indirectly. Indirectly means they are elected officials in their own county who also take a seat in the council as a member or a directly elected government. Back to school for you me thinks. 
  • Reply 14 of 18
    MacProMacPro Posts: 19,718member
    Brexit makes Apple’s position in Ireland, stronger not weaker. Apple needs access to the EU single market not the, soon to be tiny in comparison, UK market. Ireland will be the only English speaking county in the EU and will remain the preferred doorway for US multinationals into the EU. Brexit is bad news for Irish agriculture and good news for corporate investment. Double edged sword. 

    Many corporations are exiting the UK and relocating to Ireland and other EU countries as they need market access. Why would Apple do the opposite?
    Valid points.  However, in the future once the UK get's its act together it would depend on what sort of trade deals it can negotiate with the EU I would imagine not to mention the US.  The fact Britain would be free to offer tax relief and financial incentives to Apple without Brussels interference could in such a scenario make it a base from which to operate I would have thought.  It would, of course depend on the trading agreements the UK gets and the incentives it could offer so all unknown.
  • Reply 15 of 18
    MacPro said:
    Brexit makes Apple’s position in Ireland, stronger not weaker. Apple needs access to the EU single market not the, soon to be tiny in comparison, UK market. Ireland will be the only English speaking county in the EU and will remain the preferred doorway for US multinationals into the EU. Brexit is bad news for Irish agriculture and good news for corporate investment. Double edged sword. 

    Many corporations are exiting the UK and relocating to Ireland and other EU countries as they need market access. Why would Apple do the opposite?
    Valid points.  However, in the future once the UK get's its act together it would depend on what sort of trade deals it can negotiate with the EU I would imagine not to mention the US.  The fact Britain would be free to offer tax relief and financial incentives to Apple without Brussels interference could in such a scenario make it a base from which to operate I would have thought.  It would, of course depend on the trading agreements the UK gets and the incentives it could offer so all unknown.
    Good point too. But I’d say it’s unlikely any trade agreement the UK get is unlikely to offer the same sort of access a country that is actually a member can offer. But of course, the wildcard is, as you say, the state handout the UK could offer. 
  • Reply 16 of 18
    gatorguygatorguy Posts: 24,176member
    MacPro said:
    Brexit makes Apple’s position in Ireland, stronger not weaker. Apple needs access to the EU single market not the, soon to be tiny in comparison, UK market. Ireland will be the only English speaking county in the EU and will remain the preferred doorway for US multinationals into the EU. Brexit is bad news for Irish agriculture and good news for corporate investment. Double edged sword. 

    Many corporations are exiting the UK and relocating to Ireland and other EU countries as they need market access. Why would Apple do the opposite?
    Valid points.  However, in the future once the UK get's its act together it would depend on what sort of trade deals it can negotiate with the EU I would imagine not to mention the US.  The fact Britain would be free to offer tax relief and financial incentives to Apple without Brussels interference could in such a scenario make it a base from which to operate I would have thought.  It would, of course depend on the trading agreements the UK gets and the incentives it could offer so all unknown.
    Good point too. But I’d say it’s unlikely any trade agreement the UK get is unlikely to offer the same sort of access a country that is actually a member can offer. But of course, the wildcard is, as you say, the state handout the UK could offer. 
    Less than a 12.5% corporate tax rate. as set under Irish tax law? Not at all likely IMO. Even that completely ignores the reported tax advantages Apple is currently getting by realizing profits thru Jersey off the coast of France. 

    A very significant amount of Apple's off-shore profits have yet to be "repatriated" and may never be, and further that cash being held overseas is no longer even mentioned in Apple financials. It still sits undeclared in tax havens such as Jersey, and Apple is far from the only one. Look at Microsoft and Google,  Amazon and Oracle too as examples of companies who aren't repatriating all the cash they hold off-shore. 
    edited January 2020
  • Reply 17 of 18
    “Here’s an award, now please stay in Ireland so we can extort you for allegedly breaking some kind of idiotic EU regulation now... and possibly again in the future.”
  • Reply 18 of 18
    maestro64maestro64 Posts: 5,043member
    maestro64 said:
    #1 Tax Dodger Award? Lol

    Nice job Ireland! ...poking the EU in the eye with this award.



    Ireland better hope that Apple does not decide to do something different now with Brexit and other things going on in the EU to rain in the unelected bureaucratic in the EU making it hard for everyone to do business. 
    You seem to know what you’re talking about @maestro64 , exactly which part of the EU is unelected? 

    Don’t bother, I’ll tell you - none. Your just spouting a right-wing talking point not based in fact. Both ‘houses’ of the EU are elected. One directly and one indirectly. Indirectly means they are elected officials in their own county who also take a seat in the council as a member or a directly elected government. Back to school for you me thinks. 
    I think you are one who needs more schooling or maybe at least look words up in a dictionary. 

    Or may be I confused you by putting two words together which one word is included the definition of the second word. Just to be clear the word bureaucrat by definition is an unelected appointed/hire official who is responsible to running the government and interrupting the rules and regulations. 

    The EU does have a bunch of bureaucrats who's think their job is to make everyone buy into their view of the world order and tell all the member states what is good for them. The EU is no different than the US in that regard, except the fact the US tend to hold US and Foreign companies to the same set of rules especially tax rules and the US does not tell local government how to tax companies and whether local company gave unfair tax advantages to one company over another.

    Just to be clear I did not say anything about elected politicians you seem to think I am referencing. If you think the politicians are running the EU stop being naïve and leave your left-wind talking point outside this. See I can do the same thing as you. Plus my view are not talking point from any side of the political divide since I have personal experience dealing with EU bureaucrats on getting product approved to sell into the EU markets, I have direct experience with their stupidness in the name of protectionism.
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