July 16th 2020 12:08 pm

Written by Roger Leach

home :: tax news :: business tax

EU Court Overturns Irish Claim for €13bn Backtaxes from Apple

4 year old ruling forcing Irish to pursue Apple's decade-long backtaxes thrown out.

A Luxuembourg court has overturned a four year old decision by the European Commission to order Irish authorities to recover over ten years of tax on profits from Apple.

The EU Commission had originally ordered Ireland to go after Apple for unpaid taxes on profits from the period 2003 to 2014, which with interest was worth €13 billion.

In the original case Apple had two companies registered in Ireland but was funneling profits to a head office outside Ireland, where there was little tax applied, equivalent to an under 1 percent tax rate.

The new ruling in Luxembourg stated that the EU Commission did not show in 'required legal standards' that Apple was at advantage by diverting their profits.

Ireland has always stated there was no special 'state-aid' being provided to Apple, and this latest ruling would be in-keeping with the country's low-tax appeal for large companies. Alongside Apple, Facebook and Google also based offices in Ireland.

Considering the current circumstances the country would have benefitted with a sum equivalent to the annual Irish health budget if they pursued the backtaxes.

Apple has had offices in Ireland since 1980 with thousands working in the two offices in Cork. They issued a statement explaining that the issue of backtaxes always related to geolocation rather than tax rate. As the 'world's largest taxpayer' directly and indirectly supporting nearly 2 million jobs in the EU, the company said it has paid near $100 billion in company taxes and even more in employee-related taxes.

This case is the blow for the EU's tax avoidance unit seeking to enforce EU state aid rules. The Luxembourg court has previously overturned a decision forcing Dutch authorities to go after Starbucks as well as a larger case to cancel a Belgian tax scheme benefitting nearly 40 multinational companies.

See more articles from July 2020

Keywords:

Topics
Election - 33 available Personal Tax - 268 available Uk Budget - 88 available Welfare - 6 available Autumn Statement - 23 available Fraud - 13 available Business Tax - 31 available General - 67 available Expenses - 9 available Spring Statement - 7 available Tax Return - 39 available Self Employed - 21 available Limited Company - 4 available Benefits - 1 available Company Cars - 3 available
Browse Archives:
October 2024 - 6 available September 2024 - 3 available August 2024 - 4 available July 2024 - 5 available June 2024 - 7 available May 2024 - 5 available April 2024 - 2 available March 2024 - 6 available February 2024 - 2 available January 2024 - 4 available December 2023 - 3 available November 2023 - 4 available October 2023 - 4 available September 2023 - 2 available August 2023 - 2 available July 2023 - 2 available June 2023 - 4 available May 2023 - 5 available April 2023 - 2 available March 2023 - 6 available February 2023 - 4 available January 2023 - 7 available December 2022 - 6 available November 2022 - 4 available October 2022 - 5 available September 2022 - 9 available August 2022 - 3 available July 2022 - 3 available June 2022 - 3 available May 2022 - 4 available April 2022 - 3 available March 2022 - 3 available February 2022 - 4 available January 2022 - 4 available December 2021 - 4 available November 2021 - 3 available October 2021 - 3 available September 2021 - 3 available August 2021 - 3 available July 2021 - 6 available June 2021 - 2 available May 2021 - 4 available April 2021 - 3 available March 2021 - 5 available February 2021 - 3 available January 2021 - 9 available December 2020 - 5 available November 2020 - 5 available October 2020 - 5 available September 2020 - 8 available August 2020 - 5 available July 2020 - 13 available June 2020 - 3 available May 2020 - 7 available April 2020 - 5 available March 2020 - 10 available February 2020 - 10 available January 2020 - 6 available December 2019 - 6 available November 2019 - 7 available October 2019 - 5 available September 2019 - 6 available August 2019 - 9 available July 2019 - 6 available June 2019 - 4 available May 2019 - 4 available April 2019 - 4 available March 2019 - 9 available February 2019 - 4 available January 2019 - 6 available December 2018 - 3 available November 2018 - 5 available October 2018 - 7 available September 2018 - 9 available August 2018 - 3 available July 2018 - 4 available June 2018 - 5 available May 2018 - 6 available April 2018 - 4 available March 2018 - 6 available February 2018 - 6 available January 2018 - 2 available December 2017 - 5 available November 2017 - 8 available October 2017 - 5 available September 2017 - 4 available August 2017 - 3 available July 2017 - 5 available June 2017 - 2 available May 2017 - 5 available April 2017 - 4 available March 2017 - 6 available February 2017 - 3 available January 2017 - 4 available December 2016 - 3 available November 2016 - 4 available October 2016 - 3 available September 2016 - 2 available August 2016 - 6 available July 2016 - 4 available June 2016 - 2 available May 2016 - 2 available April 2016 - 2 available March 2016 - 3 available February 2016 - 2 available January 2016 - 5 available December 2015 - 3 available November 2015 - 4 available October 2015 - 3 available September 2015 - 2 available August 2015 - 2 available July 2015 - 5 available June 2015 - 3 available May 2015 - 1 available April 2015 - 2 available March 2015 - 6 available February 2015 - 3 available January 2015 - 3 available December 2014 - 4 available November 2014 - 2 available October 2014 - 5 available September 2014 - 1 available August 2014 - 2 available July 2014 - 2 available June 2014 - 3 available May 2014 - 2 available April 2014 - 5 available March 2014 - 4 available February 2014 - 2 available January 2014 - 5 available December 2013 - 3 available November 2013 - 3 available October 2013 - 4 available September 2013 - 5 available August 2013 - 7 available June 2013 - 1 available April 2013 - 3 available March 2013 - 6 available February 2013 - 5 available January 2013 - 4 available December 2012 - 1 available March 2012 - 3 available January 2012 - 2 available

© 2008 - 2024 UKTaxCalculators.co.uk