Tim Cook Responds to EU Back-Taxes Accusations

[Maura]

MacRumors reports that Apple CEO Tim Cook has been talking to members of the Irish media about the European Commission’s announcement this week that Apple must pay 13 billion Euros in back taxes.

Following up the open letter that he published on Apple’s website earlier in the week, Cook spoke to Paschal Sheehy, the host of Irish radio program Morning Ireland, and told him that the EU Commission’s ruling was “political crap.” After also saying that the ruling was “wrongheaded,” countering that the 0.005% tax rate that the EU claimed Apple was paying was a “false number,” Cook reiterated that Apple is “subject to the statutory rate in Ireland of 12.5%, and that Apple “paid $400m in taxes in 2014.”

When Sheehy asked Cook how he felt about Apple being accused by the EU Commission of having an “illegal” advantage as far as tax benefits were concerned, Cook said he was frustrated by the matter.

When asked if Apple should apologise or had done anything wrong, Cook said “No, we haven’t done anything wrong,” adding, “It’s maddening, it’s disappointing. It’s clear that this comes from a political place and has no basis in fact or law. Unfortunately it’s one of those things we have to work through. When you’re accused of doing something that is so foreign to your values, it brings out an outrage in you and that’s how we feel. Apple has always been about doing the right thing, never the easy thing.”

Cook also referred several times during the interview to the “37-year-old marriage” between Ireland and Apple, which he said was “great for the community.”

Source: Tim Cook Calls Apple's Irish Tax Avoidance Accusations 'Total Political Crap'

Photo credit: @tim_cook

 

[brixtonboy]

I like the words just hope they are not bull**********


Gregory lsaacs r.i.p.

 

[scifan57]

The problem with this EU ruling is that not only does Apple say they don't owe any taxes, Ireland agrees and doesn't want the money.

 

[brixtonboy]

Yes that may be true on the face of it but it.
However Apple do have many employees there l bet


Gregory lsaacs r.i.p.

 

[Pinkpoison]

The problem with this EU ruling is that not only does Apple say they don't owe any taxes, Ireland agrees and doesn't want the money.

It's the EU poking their noses in again where it's not wanted, They do it here too which is why we want out.

 

[scifan57]

It's the EU poking their noses in again where it's not wanted, They do it here too which is why we want out.

It'll be interesting to see how the EU plans to enforce their ruling if Ireland refuses to collect the taxes.

Internal taxation is the business of each member nation and not of the EU, which is why the EU has chosen to call this an illegal state subsidy and not a normal taxation issue which would not be under their jurisdiction.