“The Irish government on Wednesday filed an appeal seeking to stop efforts by European authorities to force Apple to pay the country $14.3 billion to cover what antitrust officials say are unpaid taxes,” Mark Scott reports for The New York Times. “Margrethe Vestager, Europe’s competition chief, ordered Apple in August to pay the amount, alleging the company had received preferential tax rulings from the Irish government that gave Apple an unfair advantage over rivals.”
“Both Ireland and Apple deny any wrongdoing. The appeal, filed with the General Court, the top appellate court of the European Union, represents the beginning of a lengthy standoff between European authorities, the Irish government and Apple,” Scott reports. “‘The government fundamentally disagrees with the European Commission’s analysis and the decision left no choice but to take an appeal,’ Michael Noonan, the country’s finance minister, told European politicians on Tuesday.”
“The tax battle is likely to drag on for years,” Scott reports. “Legal analysts say it will take up to 18 months for the General Court to rule on the matter. And any decision may be appealed to the European Court of Justice, the region’s highest court, further prolonging the uncertainty.”
Read more in the full article here.
MacDailyNews Take: Another step in the long slog.
SEE ALSO:
The ‘Brexit-Apple’ connection: What in the world was Margrethe Vestager thinking? – September 12, 2016
EU ministers line up to take tax bites out of Apple – September 12, 2016
Former EU competition commissioner: Vestager claim that Apple owes back taxes an incorrect use of EU law – September 2, 2016
Irish government to fight EU on Apple tax – September 2, 2016
Treasury accuses EU of trying to steal U.S. tax revenues with Apple decision – September 1, 2016
Irish residents opposed to EU’s tax demand of Apple – September 1, 2016
Apple Inc. pushes back against EU tax grab – September 1, 2016
Apple may repatriate billions of dollars next year after new U.S. President takes office – September 1, 2016
U.S. tax code allows for dramatic retaliation against EU overreach in Apple case – September 1, 2016
Apple CEO Tim Cook on EU tax demand: ‘No one did anything wrong here and Ireland is being picked on… It is total political crap’ – September 1, 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
U.S. government warns EU: Do not hit Apple with a massive back tax bill – or else – August 25, 2016
Maybe if the EU actually said what those illegal and preferential tax breaks were, we would all be wiser? Or are we all supposed to go along with their ruling – because EU!
Disclaimer: EU resident who did not vote Brexit.
By SamSlode’s Patent-Infringing-Slavish-Copying Hammer! Years of protracted court battles? (So what else is new?)