Report Says U.S. Government Filed to Intervene in Apple's Tax Appeal in Europe

[Westside guy]

I can see it now...

@RealDonaldTrump 2:23am: "Jealous EU wants to tax our greatness! Must be that time of month for Merkel. Sad!"

 

[MH01]

Apple tax affairs did not bother me, until all the TC moral compass BS, what a complete hypocrite. He guy worships only one thing, money, and will like a seasoned professional pretend to be your best friend while only caring about the profit margin. Year on year, prices go up and service goes down. Like the back to school promotions and discounts....he talks BS and penny pinches.

 

[deany]

- Other countries in the EU care because without a forbidden special deal, Apple might have chosen to establish elsewhere.

- Other companies care because special deals are unfair discriminatory competition.

Never thought I'd say this - but no wonder folks voted for the UK to exit the EU.

If a Country in the EU want to attract and stike a deal that creates jobs from nothing, then fair play, I have no problem with that.

Not sure what happened with Amazon and the Luxumberg deal but I think its a bit different as I'm get the impression its less about creating jobs and construction and 100% tax about dodge.

 

[cube]

Not sure what happened with Amazon and the Luxumberg deal but I think its a but different as I'm get the impression its less about creating jobs and construction and 100% tax about dodge.

The motivation is not different. Apple is not in Ireland to create jobs but to avoid taxes.

 

[Rigby]

I wonder how the US can hope to have any standing with this intervention, given that a US Senate committee came to pretty much the same conclusions a few years back:

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/05/21/b...llions-in-taxes-congressional-panel-says.html

Some quotes:

[...]
“Apple successfully sought the holy grail of tax avoidance. It has created offshore entities holding tens of billions of dollars while claiming to be tax resident nowhere.”

Thanks to what lawmakers called “gimmicks” and “schemes,” Apple was able to largely sidestep taxes on tens of billions of dollars it earned outside the United States in recent years. Last year, international operations accounted for 61 percent of Apple’s total revenue.
[...]
Atop Apple’s offshore network is a subsidiary named Apple Operations International, which is incorporated in Ireland — where Apple had negotiated a special corporate tax rate of 2 percent or less in recent years — but keeps its bank accounts and records in the United States and holds board meetings in California.

 

[bwillwall]

All the comments saying the US government is wrong to do this are full of crap honestly. As they stated, Apple is an AMERICAN COMPANY. They didn't go to Ireland to get out of paying taxes to the EU, they got out of paying taxes to the USA.

 

[deany]

The motivation is not different. Apple is not in Ireland to create jobs but to avoid taxes.

True, but I feel its a bit more of a two way thing than the Amazon - Luxumbourg deal.

 

[apolloa]

Isn't it pathetic? Apple goes crying to the US government because it fiddled money, effectively laundering it IMO, and the EU takes issue with 'Ireland' on it, yet Apple then tries to argue no..

They really should shut up and pay Ireland, it was a very clear breach of law.

 

[mr.bee]

Same with Starbucks in the Netherlands, Facebook in Ireland and UK. It’s not just a focus on Apple.

Whatever country you live in, this is absurd.

https://www.theguardian.com/global/...poration-tax-despite-35-million-staff-bonuses

 

[H2SO4]

Apple stuck a very good tax deal with our Irish friends and this created jobs.

Who cares that it <1% tax

They are all up to it Google, Amazon and Facebook etc

That's alright then. All the crooks are doing it so it's fine.

 

[cube]

The EU also goes against other EU countries when they make special deals with European companies.

 

[deany]

Isn't it pathetic? Apple goes crying to the US government because it fiddled money, effectively laundering it IMO, and the EU takes issue with 'Ireland' on it, yet Apple then tries to argue no..

They really should shut up and pay Ireland, it was a very clear breach of law.

Which ever way you look at it, as cube says the deal Apple struck with Ireland was mainly a Tax dodge. Jobs and consruction secondary.

But the deal was struck on Irish soil, personally I don't think the EU should have any say in it.

and I voted for our Country - UK to remain in the eu.

 

[cube]

Which ever way you look at it, as cube says the deal Apple struck with Ireland was mainly a Tax dodge. Jobs and consruction secondary.

But the deal was struck on Irish soil, personally I don't think the EU should have any say in it.

Then don't join the EU.

 

[deany]

Then don't join the EU.

Who dont join the EU?, Ireland are in the EU as you know.

 

[apolloa]

Apple stuck a very good tax deal with our Irish friends and this created jobs.

Who cares that it <1% tax

They are all up to it Google, Amazon and Facebook etc

Actually no, the place Apple was moving the money through actually doesn't exist apart from on paper, so moving this money through Ireland didn't create ANY extra jobs..

Just remember, Ireland was claiming state aid from the tax payers across the rest of the EU, whilst allowing Apple to shove billions and billions and billions through it's country nearly tax free. Another thing the EU has taken issue with, and a part of the illegal ruling.

 

[cube]

Who dont join the EU?, Ireland are in the EU as you know.

Yes, so if they did not like the rules, they should not have joined.

 

[apolloa]

Which ever way you look at it, as cube says the deal Apple struck with Ireland was mainly a Tax dodge. Jobs and consruction secondary.

But the deal was struck on Irish soil, personally I don't think the EU should have any say in it.

and I voted for our Country - UK to remain in the eu.

Eh? What? Of course the EU has a say in it! It's part of the rules and laws Ireland has to agree to in order to remain a member of the EU and get money from it! And therefore ANY company doing business there must also obey the regulations and laws, it's not a case of pick and choose what you want to agree with.

 

[LordVic]

Which ever way you look at it, as cube says the deal Apple struck with Ireland was mainly a Tax dodge. Jobs and consruction secondary.

But the deal was struck on Irish soil, personally I don't think the EU should have any say in it.

and I voted for our Country to remain in the eu.

if you don't believe that EU should have any sway in Ireland monetary policy, than staying in the EU is not what you want.

and the whole point of the EU as a monetary entity is so that, regardless of whose soil it's on, it's all EU.

Ireland cannot have it both ways. Either stay in the EU and honour the EU policy, or leave the EU and go it on your own. You can't pick and choose what EU things to take and what to ignore.

it's like when Quebec wanted to seperate from Canada, but Canada ignore all their debt, use Canadian Currency, and automatically get included in All Canadian trade deals. You don't get to have your cake and eat it too. either do it yourself, or accept the terms of the agreement for joining.

 

[deany]

Yes, so if they did not like the rules, they should not have joined.

are there rules, being part of the EU, that prevent striking tax deals with a large Company - Apple inc?

 

[apolloa]

are there rules, being part of the EU, that prevent striking tax deals with a large Company - Apple inc?

Yes. Hence the ruling.

 

[diazj3]

Isn't there a big fuss about Apple not paying its fair share of tax in the US either though?

nah... most americans think that the more money rich people or corporations make, the less taxes they should pay... they call this "trickle down economics" (the dumbest economic populist theory ever)... plus, most of them think they are all the next billionaire in line, so they don't support taxes on the rich, because it would affect them in the future, when god finally gives them their american dreamt fortunes. Hence Trump... (they are not the sharpest tool in the toolbox)

Apple's a great company to take note for ethics and morals....

yeah, right...

 

[VulchR]

As long as the same arrangement was available to all companies it is nothing to do with the EU. They don't get to set countries tax rates.

Actually, yes they do. It's called tax harmonisation and it prevents countries in the EU from exploiting others, as Ireland clearly has.

 

[cube]

are there rules, being part of the EU, that prevent striking tax deals with a large Company - Apple inc?

An individual tax deal would be a form of illegal state aid.

 

[deany]

if you don't believe that EU should have any sway in Ireland monetary policy, than staying in the EU is not what you want.

and the whole point of the EU as a monetary entity is so that, regardless of whose soil it's on, it's all EU.

Ireland cannot have it both ways. Either stay in the EU and honour the EU policy, or leave the EU and go it on your own. You can't pick and choose what EU things to take and what to ignore.

it's like when Quebec wanted to seperate from Canada, but Canada ignore all their debt, use Canadian Currency, and automatically get included in All Canadian trade deals. You don't get to have your cake and eat it too. either do it yourself, or accept the terms of the agreement for joining.

Where is @Scepticalscribe when you need her, I need good advice on this one.
[doublepost=1499196835][/doublepost]

An individual tax deal would be a form of illegal state aid.

Surely Taoiseach would have known that?

 

[VulchR]

Never thought I'd say this - but no wonder folks voted for the UK to exit the EU.

Most people in the UK now oppose Brexit according to recent polls (what a shock).

In any case, all the countries in the EU are eligible for EU funds for economic development etc depending on how poor the country (or a given region within the country) is. So, when Ireland makes this 'sweet' deal with Apple, it gets the benefit of the jobs plus the benefit of the EU subsidy it wouldn't get had it collected a reasonable tax from Apple in the first place. Apple's and Ireland's behaviour disadvantaged every taxpayer in all other EU countries due to this arrangement and Apple needs to pay its fair tax and the support to Ireland from the EU consequently should go down accordingly.

In effect, Ireland was taking a tax lesson from the US state of Delaware. *cough*