Earlier this week, Apple found itself in the midst of yet another tax scandal. According to the European Commission, Apple owes Ireland $14.5 billion in back taxes after discovering that Apple had been paying a tax rate as low as 0.005%. The only issue? Apple says that the Commission is making things up.
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In an interview with the Irish Independent, Apple CEO Tim Cook explained: “No one did anything wrong here and we need to stand together. Ireland is being picked on and this is unacceptable.” As for the assertion that Apple was offered a 0.005% tax rate by Ireland, Cook calls it “total political crap.”
“They just picked a number from I don’t know where,” Cook continued. “In the year that the Commission says we paid that tax figure, we actually paid $400m. We believe that makes us the highest taxpayer in Ireland that year.”
Cook refutes the Commission’s claim, Ireland is refusing to accept the “owed” taxes, the US government might consider launching an appeal against the ruling. In other words, a truly epic war is brewing between several massive entities, but through it all, Cook says that Apple is still committed to Ireland:
“It has not been diminished one iota, we are completely committed to Ireland. We view the team there is world-class. They do such incredible work for Apple and we’re moving forward with the planned investments.”
We’ll be keeping a close eye on this case in the coming weeks and months.
