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LurkerJ on 30 August 2016
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Teeqoz said:
LurkerJ said:
So the EU is coming after tax havens now?

The EU was happy as a clam with the arrangement for 20 years. They ran into financial problems and went looking for cash. The "rules" should've been enforced years ago, but I guess if they did it years ago they wouldn't have been able to ask for 10+ billions and Apple (+google+MS) would've taken their business elsewhere.

This does seem like the old "bait and switch" with Ireland promising tax relief for jobs and then the EU coming in YEARS later and saying, "Wait a minute Ireland - You cannot do that!"

Anyhow, This will be in the courts on for at least a decade. Both Apple and Ireland have already announced appeals.

Better late than never. This will also set a precedent that will make it much harder for the EU to ignore these cases in the future. Ireland has been giving Apple a huge competetive edge by giving them special tax rules that are different from the other companies in Ireland. Too bad for them if their shady deals in the past get consequences now.

When Apple first set up in Ireland, Ireland wasn't a member of the EU. The original deal wasn't illegal when first set up. I am unsure why Ireland or the EU didn't press the issue sooner, but "scummy" and "shady" don't mean much when these practices remain legal. If the issue was pressed sooner, Apple (and many others) would've taken their business somewhere else sooner.