Apple didn't rob anyone. They had $200B in cash they couldn't deposit in US banks, or they'd be subject to $80B+ in taxes. So Ireland offered to let them deposit those funds in Irish banks for a near zero tax rate, because it was a huge windfall for Ireland and cost them nothing.
If ireland hadn't offered, dozens of other countries would have. The EU is being scummy trying to undo a legit deal after the fact instead of ruling it can't continue in the future.
It's surprising that Ireland couldn't simply say everyone (including Apple) pays the headline rate for the first billion in deposits, and 0% for every billion thereafter. That's a level playing field. And the outcome is much the same.
Except that what you claim is also contrary to the current legal ruling.
If the legal ruling is upheld (and the ball is in your court explaining why shouldn't it be?) then Apple most certainly did – with the collusion of parts of the Irish govt – rob someone. Because it has been found that those €13bn are not theirs to keep. So whose money is it rightfully? The citizens of some state. This is money that should be going to healthcare and public infrastructure. So as things stand in a very real sense Apple did rob someone. They robbed you, they robbed me.
> If ireland hadn't offered, dozens of other countries would have.
Not really I'd say, lots of multinationals have the European operations headquartered in Dublin because the corporation tax is 12.5% There are also favourable intellectual property regulations. Given that, this money was flowing through Ireland anyway so it was probably easy to siphon it off there.
> The EU is being scummy trying to undo a legit deal after the fact instead of ruling it can't continue in the future.
Just because you disagree with the ruling there is no need for thrashing EU regulatory bodies. From my perspective they are trying to claw back some of the tax due to the citizens of the EU. My guess is that you are from the US and figure that some of these taxes should end up across the Atlantic, and I wouldn't blame you for feeling that but calling the EU scummy is not helping matters.
That money is rightly Apple shareholders money, not the US governments or Irelands.
Apple shareholders pay taxes on their Apple dividends at far higher rates than virtually anyone in the world. They pay nearly 10% of foreign earnings to foreign governments. They owe 9% of what's left to CA State corporate income tax. Then they owe 35% of what's left of that to US corporate income taxes. Then they owe state income tax on the remainder paid to them as dividends. Finally they owe another 20% of the final remainder as federal dividend tax.
There isn't a country in the world that owed more taxes than that. There isn't a reason in the world Apple shouldn't keep their IP and after tax earnings in the most attractive tax environment, and out of the U.S. to defer paying taxes till later. It's not "robbing" anyone to refuse to pay extra taxes when you already pay all of your legal ones.
I think it was the EU who took Apple to court over unfair trade practices and special tax deal in Ireland. Not surprising that Ireland cut a deal with Apple. We'll see if the EU lets this go through.
Let me try: Ireland joined the EU in 1973. Apple was founded in 1976. This "deal" was reached in 1991, and amended & renewed in 2007. The taxes in question stem from profits in the years 2003 to 2014.
