Are tax laws really being applied retroactively, or is complaining about "retrofit changes to national law" just a fancy way of saying Apple should get away with it because it took a long time to catch them?
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Apple Says EU-Ireland Tax Order 'Defies Reality and Common Sense'
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Apple is scared they will need to open up their books. At one point nearly all, if not all non US sales were routed through Ireland. They have been caught out not filing securities reports in multiple jurisdictions. And they knew the Irish deal was not “kosher” when they entered into it.
They can cry all they want, but the only chance f not paying will Contesting the invoice from the Irish tax dept.
They can cry all they want, but the only chance f not paying will Contesting the invoice from the Irish tax dept.
These kind of deals (tax heavens) are (now) prohibited by EU law and countries like the Netherlands need to fight previously made arrangements.
Think a little bit. I have faith in you. Does the government force you to buy food for yourself or do you do that on your own?
Right.
Cos that’s the same as infrastructure etc.
Rrrright.
Perhaps you should do some thinking yourself as to how stupid your original comment is.
(And yes. The government does regulate what food I CAN buy, in effect FORCING ME to eat SAFE food. That’s ALSO what taxes go towards - so your follow up comment is just as stupid as your first one - unless you feel that people should choose whether they have food regulation also?)
Corporations rarely pay. They pass most corporate taxes onto their customers.
Apple will most likely end up paying and then will end up raising their prices in the UK (i.e. the customers will pay premium+ prices).
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It's just like US taxes and the IRS. The taxes need to be paid before the case is argued in court.
Apple's penalty tax money has been in escrow until the case is resolved.
Corporations don't pay taxes in the long run.
They are passed on to customers.
I wonder if Apple should retroactively raise their prices if they face retroactive tax increases
?
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That’s not actually true.Corporations don't pay taxes in the long run.
They are passed on to customers.
I wonder if Apple should retroactively raise their prices if they face retroactive tax increases
They pay tax on profits. What Apple et al do is raise their “costs” by leasing and then owning the companies who are doing the leasing. And then doing stuff like rebranding or changing logos etc etc. all to minimize the costs.
By passing on costs to buyers, that just means they increase their profits, for which they have to pay tax on or again create costs to minimize it all.
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“People are too stupid to join together and accomplish a task that improves things for everyone without being coerced and stolen from by sociopathic bureaucrats”
Yeah. Think about that every time you get on a plane or a bus or a car. Those bastards made safety compulsory for people!
Of course, I could be wrong - perhaps you walk everywhere, and you grow your own food, pasteurize your own milk, rear your own chickens etc etc. and you generate your own electricity using safe methods. And of course you’re not vaccinated? And you don’t use any medicine that has been FDA approved? And your microwave is all stripped and leaking radiation? Think about all those bastards who made sure that when it rains, the electricity poles don’t electrocute you - how dare they!
Still a stupid response. Dressing it up in fancy words doesn’t make it any less stupid.
Corporations only act when they are forced to. Not by their own goodness.
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You assume no one would do any of those things unless forced at gun point and yet can’t resist insulting others and calling them stupid.
I called your response stupid. Not you. And I fail to see the connection between that and your point.
But hey let’s ignore the fact you called anybody who pays taxes stupid according to your quote.
Anyway. I’ll leave you to carrying on believing what you do.
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Why? Do you pay more in taxes than the government says you owe? When you or your accountant adds it all up do you say "nah—that’s not enough; give the government more money"?
Apple was never accused of wrongdoing, Ireland was. Apple faces no penalty, fine, or other punishment. As to paying first, it’s quite normal in legal matter to pay the judgement and await a review or appeal.
The 0.005% claim does not relate to Apple's entire tax liability. The general assessments is that Apple paid about 2% where 12.5% is the supposed corporate tax rate.
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It comes down to the fact that in the EU, certain national laws are themselves illegal. This is something you will see studiously avoided in Apple statements, where they would have you think 'Irish national law' is the highest law in the land. And it sort-of isn't...
There is no EU tax law, other than treaties which require member nations to impose standardised tax laws. The law Ireland was applying was found to be illegally non-standard in order to benefit Apple. As a remedy for the illegal law, Ireland were required to apply standardised tax law and collect back taxes. Apple hasn't been accused of breaking any law, retroactively or otherwise (so their protest about behaving legally are just PR theatre), but they did benefit from an illegal scheme. They haven't been fined or charged with anything, they just been made to pay their back taxes to Ireland. They can complain the law has changed, which it technically has, but it hasn't been changed arbitrarily or as part of a shakedown. It only 'changed' to what the law was legally required to be at the time. It comes down to how an illegal law should be remedied, which is a tricky legal question for lawyers, let alone us.
IMO, if Apple were genuinely ignorant of the illegal tax rates then I would understand the indignation, but as we are seeing in court, they have an army of very good tax lawyers. Like that case recently where a couple found $100,000 erroneously in their bank account, and spent it in days, Apple knew exactly what they were doing, and hoped to play the victim card if it ever came to court.
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Ultimately the EU will win because Apple will still want to sell products to most of Europe.
The system does not work if companies grow larger and and larger and take more and more without fulfilling their obligations. It will not be possible to tackle global inequalities, the climate crisis and other pressing issues with impotent governance.
The system does not work if companies grow larger and and larger and take more and more without fulfilling their obligations. It will not be possible to tackle global inequalities, the climate crisis and other pressing issues with impotent governance.
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