“Ryanair boss Michael O’Leary has weighed into the tax dispute between Apple and the European Union, saying the Irish government should write a letter to the EU telling them to ‘f**k off,'” The Daily Mail reports. “Dubbing the EU’s ruling “bizarre”, the outspoken Irishman said: ‘One of the fundamental principles of the European Union is that each country has its autonomy to make its own tax decisions. Frankly the Irish government should turn around – they shouldn’t even appeal the decision – they should just write a letter to Europe and tell them politely to f**k off.'”
The idea that you have the state aid mob – who’ve had more court verdicts overturned than any other department in Europe in the last 20 years – come along 10 years after the fact and say, ‘no we didn’t like that, we think you should have done something else,’ is frankly bizarre. — Ryanair CEO Michael O’Leary
“On Tuesday, Europe’s antitrust commissioner Margrethe Vestager slapped the maker of iPads and iPhones with a 13 billion euro (£11.1 billion) tax bill. She claimed Apple paid just 1% tax on its European profits in 2003 and 0.005% in 2014, and said its arrangement with the Irish government is illegal under state aid rules,” The Daily Mail reports. “Apple is set to challenge the decision, and Mr O’Leary added: “I think there’s no chance of this surviving a court ruling in Europe. There’s certain things that Europe has no competence in.”
Read more in the full article here.
MacDailyNews Take: Well now, there’s a bit of perfect Irish advice for the EU.
Irexit.
SEE ALSO:
U.S. taxpayers could end up paying Apple’s bill for back taxes in Ireland – August 30, 2016
Morningstar: Apple remains fundamentally undervalued after EU tax grab – August 30, 2016
Obama admin worries EU’s Apple decision will cost U.S. taxpayers; Bernie Sanders applauds EU tax demand – August 30, 2016
Ireland doesn’t want Apple’s $14.5 billion in so-called back taxes – August 30, 2016
U.S. Treasury: The European Commission’s retroactive tax demands on Apple are unfair – August 30, 2016
EU demands Apple pay massive $14.5 billion in taxes plus interest – August 30, 2016
Apple CFO Maestri: Despite EU tax ruling, we will continue to invest in Ireland – August 30, 2016
Apple CEO Cook blasts European Commission for ‘ignoring Ireland’s tax laws, upending the international tax system’ – August 30, 2016
European Commission to rule Ireland’s tax arrangement with Apple illegal – August 29, 2016
Ireland prepares for a fight with EU over Apple tax clawback – August 29, 2016
U.S. government warns EU: Do not hit Apple with a massive back tax bill – or else – August 25, 2016
European Commission denies anti-U.S. bias after U.S. Treasury intervention over Apple, Amazon tax probes – August 25, 2016
Agreed..Hey EU, eat a huge d*ck!
yes, and i hear that donald trump would be very tasty, topped with whipped cream
We will all yield to your obviously vast experience in that regard! Cheers
what?
my vast experience in listening? the operative verb here is “hear”
so endeth the lesson in jumping to a conclusion that collapses under its own weight.
yer pal, the good doctor
Just as I said yesterday at 1:34pm:
Number of laws broken by Apple = 0 (zero).
Take this to court, Apple and Ireland. It’s a sure winner in any uncorrupted judge’s courtroom.
If you can find one in the EU. After all the guy who did his best to paint Blatter as whiter than white was a pre eminent German judge and yet he still works for FIFA.
Like fungus growing on a bowl of fresh berries, government should be strangled early and often.
“The government is best which governs least.”
Thoreau, “Civil Disobedience.”
Too bad Apple supports leftist ideologies that promote higher taxes and income redistribution. STFU Apple and practice what you preach. Bow to your governmental overlords and thank them for each dollar you pay.
a most salient point…America first, Timmy. Always.
You guts are either stupid or oblivious. Have you noticed the GOP being fiscally responsible? Sure, they offer to cut taxes for the wealthy. And their are plenty of laws “redistributing” wealth to the wealthy. But the GOP don’t seem to mind running massive deficits while increasing defense spending north of $600B per year. This is unsustainable!
Neither political party has a leg to stand on in this situation. Both parties like to spend too much, but on different things. But at least one party acknowledges that higher taxes are required to address the deficit spending.
Cut spending…fine. I fully support a more prudent and efficient budget. But raise taxes to match the spending. Forcing everyone to face the pain is the only way that spending will ever be materially reduced prior to falling off the fiscal cliff. It may already be too late.
Don’t tell me that tax cuts will pay for themselves through increased. That may very well be true when taxes are very high, but it is not true at the current levels. Tax revenue versus tax rate is a nonlinear curve, and the maximum (derivative equals zero) is probably not below our current tax rates. Show me otherwise.
Cut spending, raise taxes, balance the budget, slowly pay down the debt.
Thoreau may be right, botty. But quoting him does not make you right!
– Government’s view of the economy could be summed up in a few short phrases: If it moves, tax it. If it keeps moving, regulate it. And if it stops moving, subsidize it.
– The most terrifying words in the English language are: I’m from the government and I’m here to help.
– How do you tell a communist? Well, it’s someone who reads Marx and Lenin. And how do you tell an anti-Communist? It’s someone who understands Marx and Lenin.
– Government is like a baby. An alimentary canal with a big appetite at one end and no sense of responsibility at the other.
– Man is not free unless government is limited.
– Government’s first duty is to protect the people, not run their lives.
Six quotes from President Ronald Reagan
… on SOMETHING! Though, I suspect you interpret those quotes somewhat differently than I do.
More important, I get the distinct impression, from your previous posts, that you think they only apply to an Administration run by the Democrats.
I believe they apply equally to both parties.
I love the Irish spirit. They are good at telling people to feck off
I think it’s rich that the EU is using a “state aid” argument against Apple. The EU. Home of AirBus, and how many other state subsidized multinational giants in transportation, costruction, health, etc.
That’s exactly what went through my mind: European countries are the masters of state aid.
I guarantee you this decision will come back to bite them in the buttocks when someone discovers state aid or “protection” or special favors for some European business.
Wonder if Ireland is regretting being told to vote again by the EU when they initilly rejected the Lisbon Treaty?
Irexit.
The “intelligence” and language of the comments posted speaks for itself.
Will Apple move to the UK or Turkey? No. Because then they’ll find themselves outside the EU and will have to pay much higher taxes, and especially customs tax.
Apple (and other big corporations) pay a tax rate of 0.005%. Something is VERY wrong here, the EU had a close look, and found that rules had indeed be broken (Apple can be happy that no punitive damages have been sought).
But then Americans are used to that. They are incredibly naive and think that if you work hard and have no major accidents then you’ll get rich too. I’m fine with someone getting rich. But the simple fact is that over the last 30 years the rich got MUCH richer and the rest poorer because the rich don’t pay their taxes. I still shake my head in disbelieve that Bush convinced the Americans that a tax cut for the rich was a good idea. They must still be laughing their asses off on that one. Do the Americans realize that they subsidize the rich?
That’s also why Trump hasn’t shown his tax returns. For example he classified his golf courses as farm land and is even cashing in on subsidies intended for struggling farmers. But hey, a lot of people are stupid and think that’s ok. And if the State comes and looks at that and says “Hey, one moment: that’s not ok, and you have to pay back the subsidies and the tax you own.”, then according to the majority here the State should eff off.
Idiots.
Really.
Greed, betrayel, and the American way.
Once the Irish people (and the greedy lawmakers) compare the tax percentage they pay to what Apple pays they will take the 14 billion.
Hang on isn’t this the same guy who derided us as mad for voting to leave the EU and he is going to transfer some of his business and practically all of his future investment into EU Countries? He’s entertaining that’s for sure and clearly not totally bonkers.
He is right how can it be ten years after this deal that someone from the EU decides to investigate it when it’s structure was well known to all and one presumes ignored by the relavent departments. And how comes, if it is now deemed illegal that the Country that offered it against EU law, to gain investment to the fundamental disadvantage of other EU countries, having got it, those jobs and the commitment of companies that could now be difficult to break after ten years will actually now benefit further by getting all the money back from its dodgy deal that got that investment. No mention of a fine, no legal action against the perpetrators in the Irish Government and no seizure of that money to be used for good causes. Wow Al Capone would have loved this sort of stuff. So what stops other EU Governments promising the earth to get investment knowing they will get both it and any outlay back down the line, it’s just asking for coruption.
Michael O’Leary is vile. Ryanair are everything Apple should never aspire to. Only idiots would place any import in his statements.