This possible €13Bn in taxes from Apple is beginning to cause no end of bother. First the EU stabbed our fawning Government in the back by demanding Ireland demand the dough from the biggest company on earth.
Feeling a tad miffed, Baldy Noonan as much as told Europe to fuck off and instead, cuddled up to Tim Cook and Apple. As a result, this country and Apple are taking a formal case against the initial competition ruling. So the lines are drawn and everyone is clear what they're doing?
Well, not exactly. Apparently Tim Cook was under oath recently back in the States as he was questioned closely about Apple's Irish tax arrangement. In the course of this he reputedly said, “We negotiated a tax rate which meant that our tax was calculated at less than 2%.” The real question of course is, two per cent of what exactly? Is it 2% of all the profits shifted over to Ireland from many different countries or is it 2% of the profits generated from sales here. The article doesn't say.
In theory then it could be two per cent of some loss or negative figure but that's not the real news. This morning, none other than Revenue chairman Niall Cody put the cat among the pigeons. Referring to Cook's statement under oath, our Niall said that, "Tim Cook was “wrong” to claim, while under oath in the US, a tax deal had been struck with this country." (Loud whistle!!!). Not only that bombshell though, our Niall had more to say. "Regardless of the appeal, Revenue must retrieve the €13bn in funds and has been asked by the EU to provide, by January 2, an exact figure of how much is owed."
Well, isn't that a fine how-do-you-do? Our Government intends to vigorously deny Apple owes us the money while the Government's right arm, the Revenue, intends to squeeze the dough out of Apple starting January next year. Meanwhile Apple is swearing they don't owe it and the EU swears they do. The rest of us, I suppose, are just swearing as usual.