Apple Faces Large Penalties In EU Tax Probe

First time accepted submitter chasm22 writes EU Regulators are apparently set to accuse Apple and the Irish government of entering into several sweetheart deals that left Apple with lower taxes than what it legally owed. If the ruling is upheld, Apple could owe billions in back taxes. Interestingly, it seems that the Irish government would actually get the extra money and suffer little for its part in the scheme.

Comments

Re:I would like to see a return...

[khallow]

"to how taxes were done" by whom? When I see stuff like this, it's usually from a US citizen who doesn't have a clue what sort of loopholes were around 50 years ago.

We could have socialized medicine in the US if we could get this money.

Or we could have something useful. Or just not collect the taxes in the first place, if that's the best you can do with it.

Let's also kill right now, the notion that corporations are persons.

Definitely from the US. Well, I guess you'll be pleased to find out that everyone including the US Supreme Court already agrees with you. Corporations aren't people and there just isn't any disagreement on that. OTOH, corporate personhood is a legal fiction used to insure that the people involved with a corporation receive proper protection under a variety of developed world legal systems, including the US.

It's a fallacy designed to be pro-business.

Let me note that pro-business is far less harmful and crazy to human society than anti-business.

Not true

[MikeMo]

The EU never made such a statement and never levies fines in such cases even if the action turns out to be illegal.

This is another case of breathless reporters doing their best to get clicks by accusing Apple of something, anything.

Re:Some justice

[pijokela]

EU actually does have minimum and maximum levels for some taxes. So as a member of EU they are not completely free to choose the level of their taxes. I also think that Ireland has been one of the countries opposing a raise in the minimum tax paid by companies. But anyway, the current beef is like you said.

Re:I would like to see a return...

[jbssm]

We could have socialized medicine in the US if we could get this money.

USA doesn't need more taxes to have socialized medicine. USA has the 10th biggest public healthcare expenditure per capita of the world already, more than 20% higher than the UK and Canada for instance.

So, unlike what the majority of the Americans actually thinks, they are paying more for much much less, just out of they congenital spite over "paying stuff to poor people".

Source: PRB Per Capita Public Expenditure on Health (US$)

Re:Finally

[Plumpaquatsch]

But if the Irish laws supported Apple what's the legal basis for trying to claim back taxes?

I believe that the claim is that *both* Apple and the Irish government colluded to bypass Irish laws (derived from EU directives). In that case the Irish government is also going to be in trouble, treaty-wise.

You, like most her, completely misunderstood what's going on. QTFA: "While the companies themselves aren't under investigation, their input is being sought because they would be required to return any unpaid taxes."

I repeat: Apple is not under investigation, they will not be fined. The worst that can happen to them is be required to pay taxes saved. It's only Ireland who is in trouble (and the other countries under investigation).