European Probe of Apple's Irish Tax Policies Extended to 2016

[Benjamin Frost]

I don't know why it's taken so long for the EU to act on this. Ireland's preferential tax rate for Apple is a clear breach of EU rules. I sure hope somebody is going to get a large multi-billion dollar tax bill for this. Apple can afford it.

Agreed.

Frankly, the EU is a joke. The whole union should be disbanded, as companies have effectively evaded paying tens of billions of dollars of tax using Ireland as a loophole. One of the worst things about the world today is how much power large corporations have. It's not just Apple; all large companies pay far too little tax. The way in which money can be freely moved to low tax havens is a huge scam which needs to be ended forever.

What the world needs is at least one great politician who can transform business and make the world a fairer place. It's a damning indictment of our times that there is no-one in a position of power who is remotely great. Perhaps we have been spoilt by the greatness of Steve Jobs.

 

[ApfelKuchen]

Agreed.

Frankly, the EU is a joke. The whole union should be disbanded, as companies have effectively evaded paying tens of billions of dollars of tax using Ireland as a loophole. One of the worst things about the world today is how much power large corporations have. It's not just Apple; all large companies pay far too little tax. The way in which money can be freely moved to low tax havens is a huge scam which needs to be ended forever.

What the world needs is at least one great politician who can transform business and make the world a fairer place. It's a damning indictment of our times that there is no-one in a position of power who is remotely great. Perhaps we have been spoilt by the greatness of Steve Jobs.

A government should be disbanded because of the way companies can use loopholes to avoid taxes? By that criterion, every government worldwide is likely on the chopping block.

I'm something of a one-worlder, so the idea that one great politician might someday transform the world is at least conceivable to me. However, that's not the world we live in. And if the EU ought to be disbanded... that goes contrary to the notion of cooperation between nation-states, growing beyond parochial interests,etc. If a single "continent" (why is India a sub-continent yet Europe a continent?) can't manage to centralize its governance, what hope is there for the entire world doing it?

Historically, those individuals who have been able to rise to rule a fair chunk of the world tend not to be the kind of people I'd want to have running the world. They're certainly not the type who would make the world a fairer place.

 

[navaira]

Well the problem with EU can basically by summed up by "of course everyone should be equal and we should distribute money equally! except mine, I'm keeping mine".

The only way to really tax massive corporations is to stop giving them tax relief schemes like Ireland did, and set taxes to the same value around the world. Which I actually do think will happen – the growing inequality between the rich and the poor will force it. But it will not happen anytime soon. The only alternative I see is going back to the times before EU, every country guarding its borders and market and possibly cold war brewing again.

 

[Benjamin Frost]

Well the problem with EU can basically by summed up by "of course everyone should be equal and we should distribute money equally! except mine, I'm keeping mine".

The only way to really tax massive corporations is to stop giving them tax relief schemes like Ireland did, and set taxes to the same value around the world. Which I actually do think will happen – the growing inequality between the rich and the poor will force it. But it will not happen anytime soon. The only alternative I see is going back to the times before EU, every country guarding its borders and market and possibly cold war brewing again.

I agree.

In an ideal world, the EU would harmonise business taxes; isn't the whole point of the EU to treat everyone the same? But as you say, that's not going to happen anytime soon, if ever.

So the better solution is to get rid of the EU entirely and return to autonomous countries and the free market. It's only big business that wants the EU; everyone else hates it.

 

[navaira]

Getting rid of EU entirely, though, immediately puts European countries at very compromised position. While EU exists it is one of the big players: US, India, China, EU. All countries separated will mean nothing. Perhaps Germany and UK will manage. That's about it.

 

[Benjamin Frost]

Getting rid of EU entirely, though, immediately puts European countries at very compromised position. While EU exists it is one of the big players: US, India, China, EU. All countries separated will mean nothing. Perhaps Germany and UK will manage. That's about it.

I know that's the received wisdom, but I don't think getting rid of the euro would make much difference. Mostly, it would make life a bit harder for big business. Otherwise, everything would become cheaper, which is a good thing.

 

[mossy]

The problem with Europe is the Euro currency. Complete failure! Most countries have been in recession and Austerity for almost 8 years, and it was only introduced in 2002. It was better with different currencies. Exchange rates were much easier to manage. Lower exchange rates = sell more goods. Recessions didn’t last too long.

The idea of the United States of Europe is nothing but a pipe dream now. Dead in the water. European technocrats (unelected with no mandate) are hell bent on getting ride of what nationality means to the ordinary citizen. Just stick an EU flag in the front garden and they will be happy. Throw your national flag in the bin. They might start to spread some crumbs to the ordinary EU citizen then.

They are fooling no one. The mask slipped during the so called negotiations (dictate) with Greece. The way they were disgracefully treated shows that the EU is not about solidarity - more like it is all about the markets and money. 50,000 + died by suicide around the EU during the last few years, directly attributable to Austerity policies. Nobody cares about it though.

It’s bad enough trying to keep an eye on our local Governments - without having to worry about the unelected technocrats who are answerable to no one it seems - dreaming up crazy new rules that suit the 1% and multinationals but leave everyone else behind.

The European Court of Justice is about the only good thing. It keeps our own Governments from running riot on us.