“The European Commission may deliver its verdict on Apple Inc.’s tax arrangements in Ireland as soon as next month, according to Irish Finance Minister Michael Noonan, offering the first clues to a firm timeline for a decision,” Stephanie Bodoni reports for Bloomberg.
Bodoni reports, “‘The speculation now is that the commission may make a decision sometime in July,’ Noonan said in an interview in Luxembourg on Thursday. ‘But we don’t know that with certainty. It’s the general feel around Brussels that they’re walking toward a July decision.'”
“Ireland will fight any negative commission decision to the EU courts, Noonan said,” Bodoni reports. “The government will ‘vigorously defend’ any adverse Apple tax decision…”
Read more in the full article here.
MacDailyNews Take: Apple followed the law when paying their taxes:
There was no special deal that we cut with Ireland. We simply followed the laws in the country over the 35 years that we have been in Ireland. If the question is, was there ever a ‘quid pro quo’ that we were trying to strike with the Irish government – that was never the case. We’ve always been very transparent with the Irish government that we wanted to be a good corporate citizen… If countries change the tax laws, we will abide by the new laws and we will pay taxes according to those laws. – Apple CFO Luca Maestri
SEE ALSO:
Irish wonder what to do with Apple tax if EU orders a clawback – June 8, 2016
Apple cash move will not end EU tax probe – April 11, 2016
Analyst: Apple investors unconcerned about potential EU tax bill – April 5, 2016
EU’s Vestager says will not complete tax inquiries of Apple, others in second quarter – May 5, 2015
U.S. demands EU reconsider tax probes of its companies – February 12, 2016
U.S. Treasury official to meet EU antitrust team over Apple tax deals – January 29, 2016
Apple and Google stand by Europe tax deals; Rupert Murdoch weighs in – January 27, 2016
Apple could trigger global tax war, potential breakdown of the international tax system – January 27, 2016
Apple CEO Cook lobbies EU antitrust chief over Irish back taxes – January 21, 2016
Think Ireland’s corporate tax is unfair? Wave goodbye to Apple and thousands of jobs if it’s changed – November 14, 2015
Apple announces 1,000 new jobs in Ireland as EU tax ruling nears – November 11, 2015
Apple tax probe won’t hurt Ireland, Finance Minister Noonan says – October 5, 2015
EU’s Vestager says will not complete tax inquiries of Apple, others in second quarter – May 5, 2015
Apple warns of potential ‘material’ financial damage from European tax probe – April 29, 2015
Apple may have to pay Ireland 10 years of back taxes – April 30, 2015
EU’s plans to tackle corporate tax avoidance hits first roadblocks — February 12, 2015
Ireland’s Prime Minister: Apple has nothing to fear from end of ‘Double Irish’ tax avoidance strategy – November 4, 2014
It’s not going to matter what Ireland or Apple did, the decision will be based upon political considerations.
With the UK teetering on leaving the EU can Ireland be far behind and the subsequent collapse of the EU as a result? All for the want of a nail, or the right tax decision that doesn’t punish Apple, especially retroactively. Governments are entitled to change policy on tax but they also must face up to potential consequences.
But then leaving the EU could have repercussions for all.
http://www.theguardian.com/politics/2016/jun/16/leaving-eu-could-put-uks-cities-at-risk-of-industrial-decline-says-brown
Yes. And if the UK leaves the EU, Scotland will leave the UK. Maybe Northern Ireland will follow. Wales? Who knows. And then the shires will start declaring independence. Oh, that’s just crazy talk. Or is it?
We’ll soon see.
I read the Guardian article. How incredibly slanted it is – but not surprising since it is the Guardian. Full blame on Thatcher for industrial decline. No mention of the winter of discontent, Arthur Scargill and the NUM, and the rigid and inflexible labor rules of the 50s, 60s, and 70s that drove British industry into the ground. No mention of the fact that the Labor Party back then was opposed to joining the common market. No mention of the fact that their current Labor leader appears to be ambivalent about whether the UK stays or leaves the EU.
Well, you know the press and their usual bias and convenient lapses of memory and facts.
?suspense?
Not really. I fully expect the EU has been chasing its tail on this issue: Lots of bravado, finding nothing but its own problems in its teeth.
Wehn government entities do it it is called “taxing”. When private citizens do it it is called extortion. The governments did not earn the money or produce the sweat or provide the resources to make and distribute the products, but they think it is their right to steal the hard-earned money of their own citizens to spend as they see fit.
Did Europe survive without the European Union before the European Union took over? Did they not learn the lessons from the Soviet Union?
By all means, it needs to be dissolved. Sovereignty needs to make a comeback.
Thatcher is not only to blame. The morons who ‘ran’ British industry can take their share. Underinvestment, unfair employment practices. Treating the workers like dirt. Destroying communities because Thatcher despised the organised and self respecting working class. I live in Glasgow. 1.1 million people in 1960 – 590,000 now. Read up on Clyde shipbuilding or better still, watch Sean Connery’s 1967 documentary ‘The Bowler and the Bunnet’ which never saw the light of day after its first showing because of the sympathy it showed to the workers.