gwydion

phone-ui-guy said:

I want the US to allow this money to come up for 10%. That would cover most of this tax bill leaving only 2.5% tax going to Ireland. Ireland would get more money and US companies could bring their off-shore dollars home at a reasonable rate. Why let the EU still it? We need reasonable tax on bringing these foreign profits home. Apple has said it accrued the US taxes for this money. If they bring it home, they will have to pay it. This is all screwed up because these companies are being forced to leave the money over seas due to outrageous repatriation taxes. Let's fix the real problem here and it will take care of the EU side all by itself.

thewhitefalcon said:

volcan said:

I don't know how far back these taxes are being assessed but even the IRS only audits up to 6 previous years.

The EU will go back as far as they want to in order to stave off collapse. Soon, companies will be paying taxes on the earnings of companies they purchased decades ago. 

boltsfan17 said:

blitz1 said:

All these Americans on this forum thinking, writing, screw EU, screw rules, appeals, just sit it out, the US govt will tackle this, ...

blah.blah.blah

remember the MDD-Boeing merger?
Remember how vocal the US were against EU anti-trust scrutiny?
Did it help?
No!

The US have 0 authority in the EU.
Planning on not doing business in the EU then (a retarted person's retaliation plan)? Then don't!

You fail to see the big picture here. The U.S. does have the upper hand. If an unfavorable ruling is handed down. Ireland will be appealing the decision. That could take at least 3 years. In the meantime, if the U.S. passes repatriation tax reform next year, then all of Apple's money will be out of reach of the EU.

Rayz2016 said:

sog35 said:

austriacus said:

apple ][ said:

singularity said:

apple ][ said:

Screw those new jobs that Apple was planning in that country!

Apple should take its business elsewhere, there are plenty of other places to choose!

So where in the EU should they go? They still need an eu Base and would still have to pay the tax.

Good point! I suppose that they do need a EU base.

In that case, Apple should raise the price of all products offered in the EU zone, to compensate for the illegal tax rape and to offset any loss of profits and income, because of the mob shake down.

It is not rape or a shake down - Apple and Ireland have broken a well established and known law. They thought they could get away with it and did not.... Quite frankly I think that the normal 12.5 % corporate tax in Ireland is already low enough - that's what happens when you get greedy. How much would it have been in the US? They already got a great deal...

Tell me the rule Apple broke or STFU.

Just saying that Apple paid less than 12.5% is not breaking a rule. In 2007 any corporation could set up another Irish corporation that would pay 0% tax using transfer pricing (loophole has been closed in 2015). That was not breaking a rule. That is smart tax strategy. 

Right, you seem to be missing the point, and you're not alone; seems that the anti-Apple crowd, in their usual gleeful Golem-like hand-rubbing, have missed it too. 

This is not just about Apple: Google, Microsoft, Starbucks etc all use the same arrangement. What the EU is saying is that the arrangement itself is illegal, so Ireland will have to claw back the money from these outfits too. 

The mistake that these companies made (and Microsoft keeps making) is that when it comes to these cases they can't really win because the EU is both the jury and the judge. Now since Ireland offered this deal to everyone then I'm a little unclear as to why these companies are getting an unfair advantage; it could be that offer wasn't open to everyone. No one seems to have the full details, but it looks like we'll find out tomorrow. 

In any case calm down. This is not going to make any difference to Apple's books since the company has already (wisely as it turns out) accounted for the full amount of tax owed.

As for the EU itself; yes, it is coming apart at the seams (the UK stubbornly failed to implode after Brexit, so other countries will want to leave too), but that won't affect this judgement. 

sog35 said:

cnocbui said:

sog35 said:

singularity said:

sog35 said:

EU: You broke the law. You owe Ireland $1 billion

Apple: What specific law did we break.

EU: Uhhhhh.....some law about tax. Or some.....

Apple: we have full documentation that we followed every single Irish tax law.

EU: But you still paid too little tax!!! You didn't pay your fair share!!!! Give us the $1 billion

Apple: But you still have not cited the law we broke

EU: Well, one of your Irish corporations paid a 0% rate

Apple: that was part of Irish law in 2007. Any company could have done the same.

EU: But, but, but, but, but............To little taxes!  Pay your fair share!

Apple: Again what law did we break and we will pay the tax.

EU: Damn it!!! You broke no law but you broke the spirit of the law!

Keep taking the pills. You have an overactive imagination.
I'm sure the ruling will spell out why the EU considers the deal Apple had with Ireland to be against EU rules but you keep on dreaming about nonsensical conversations.

Then tell me what rule Apple broke. Tell me. Don't just say they broke a rule.

Tim Cook specificly said they BROKE NO RULES. Sorry I trust Tim Cook to say the truth than those liars at the EU.

So what specific rule did they break?

Not again!!!!

Apple didn't really break any rule, the Irish government did.  This ruling by the EU will be aimed at the Irish government.

The specific rule is that a government is not allowed to give what amounts to state aid to a company preferentially over other companies so as to have the effect of giving that company an advantage other companies couldn't avail of.

In this instance, the state aid was in the form of a a tax break unavailable to other companies.  To right the wrong, the Irish government will be told to collect the tax from Apple it should have in the first place to ensure they will have paid the same rate of tax that is levied on other companies.

You are wrong.

Other companies could have used the same 'tax break' as Apple. And many US companies did.

Using a seperate Irish company (the Double Irish) and using transfer pricing would give you a very low tax rate. THIS WAS AVAILABLE TO ALL COMPANIES IN IRELAND. PERIOD. THUS THERE WAS NO STATE AID SINCE IT WAS AVAILABLE TO ALL.

Now again show me what tax law Apple broke.