“Apple will launch a legal challenge this week to a record $14 billion EU tax demand, arguing that EU regulators ignored tax experts and corporate law and deliberately picked a method to maximize the penalty, senior executives said,” Foo Yun Chee reports for Reuters.
“Apple’s combative stand underlines its anger with the European Commission, which said on Aug. 30 the company’s Irish tax deal was illegal state aid and ordered it to repay up to 13 billion euros ($13.8 billion) to Ireland, where Apple has its European headquarters,” Chee reports. “European Competition Commissioner Margrethe Vestager, a former Danish economy minister, said Apple’s Irish tax bill implied a tax rate of 0.005 percent in 2014.”
“Apple intends to lodge an appeal against the Commission’s ruling at Europe’s second highest court this week, its General Counsel Bruce Sewell and Chief Financial Officer Luca Maestri told Reuters in an interview at the company’s global headquarters in Cupertino,” Chee reports. “The iPhone and iPad maker was singled out because of its success, Sewell said. ‘Apple is not an outlier in any sense that matters to the law. Apple is a convenient target because it generates lots of headlines. It allows the commissioner to become Dane of the year for 2016,’ he said, referring to the title accorded by Danish newspaper Berlingske last month.”
Read more in the full article here.
MacDailyNews Take: The EU’s antitrust commissioner, Margrethe Vestager, is a fool who’s in over her head.
Anyone who decides to set up a business in a European Union member country today is insane. — MacDailyNews, August 30, 2016
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
I have to chuckle hearing about Apple being a “convenient target”. It’s so deja vu. It reminds me of another “convenient target” Saddam Hussein that was used as a scapegoat when an impotent country was unable to catch Bin Laden. Who could forget those whines.
WHAAAAAAAAAAAAH Iraq was involved in 911, WHAAAAAAAAAAAH
WHAAAAAAAAAAAAH Saddam has a weapons of mass destruction program WHAAAAAAAAAAAAH.
We have a blurry satellite image of a building there. WHAAAAAAAAAAAH.
It worked so well that they are still doing it, you can see still see from the counsel’s quote:
“Now the Irish have put in an expert opinion from an incredibly well-respected Irish tax lawyer. The Commission not only didn’t attack that – didn’t argue with it, as far as we know – they probably didn’t even read it. Because there is no reference (in the EU decision) whatsoever,” Sewell said.
Gee neither General Counsel Bruce Sewell nor the author Foo Yun Chee mention the name of this so incredibly well respected Irish tax lawyer. Oooooh that’s going to make everyone tremble, certainly the EU’s antitrust commissioner, Margrethe Vestager, who MDN claims “is a fool who’s in over her head”. What a brilliant ad hominem attack to tie into the issue. Oh wait MDN doesn’t have an issue, just the attack, how very patriotic.
All that being said I do hope Apple wins on appeal, but either way it’s going to be a good show to watch.
I think Mr. Cook should stop trying to affect the environment one iPhone at a time and kowtowing to failing government leaders around the US and Europe and start focusing on actualling running this company.
Faulty Products and services at launches, European Union using Apple as an ATM, ‘it just works’ is a joke, no longer focusing on Pro users, watch and tv are seemingly focusless, iPhone sameness, and if it wasn’t for Samsung literally exploding this Christmas wouldn’t be as bright for the Fruit.
Ever notice how leftists are always generous with other people’s money. When THEY have to pay it nothing but whining and complaining.
Why would Apple being a convenient target be news? The larger you are, the ‘juicier’ target you become in many ways, including instant name recognition of the challenger.