You guys need to understand tax havens to understand that what the USA Government/Treasury is asking Apple to do is actually the right thing to do. Many large companies funnel their money (and their profits) through countries with either NO sales tax, or very little sales tax, in order to not pay as much in tax, and then they route those products to other countries.
The Cayman Islands is well renown for this (there are heaps of countries that they use). Basically, they sell products to their subsidiary in the Cayman Islands at cost price (so they don't pay US tax as there is no profit), then they sell the products from the cayman Islands subsidiaries to other subsidiaries in other parts of the world for a HUGE profit (and not pay tax on that profit as the tax rate is 0%), and then in those other parts of the world they then sell again for the new cost price.
This is a huge practice amongst large businesses, and it means they don't even need to ship ANY products to the Cayman Islands. In fact, they just use a post office box for mail in the Cayman Islands and therefore don't even need an office there.
Apple HAVE been accused of using Tax Havens all over the world. That is why the USA Government/Treasury is having a go at them. They are putting practices in place to avoid tax, and that is why Apple don't want to return money back to the USA - because then their Tax Haven practices would be almost pointless.
The Cayman Islands is well renown for this (there are heaps of countries that they use). Basically, they sell products to their subsidiary in the Cayman Islands at cost price (so they don't pay US tax as there is no profit), then they sell the products from the cayman Islands subsidiaries to other subsidiaries in other parts of the world for a HUGE profit (and not pay tax on that profit as the tax rate is 0%), and then in those other parts of the world they then sell again for the new cost price.
This is a huge practice amongst large businesses, and it means they don't even need to ship ANY products to the Cayman Islands. In fact, they just use a post office box for mail in the Cayman Islands and therefore don't even need an office there.
Apple HAVE been accused of using Tax Havens all over the world. That is why the USA Government/Treasury is having a go at them. They are putting practices in place to avoid tax, and that is why Apple don't want to return money back to the USA - because then their Tax Haven practices would be almost pointless.