The European Union (EU) competition regulators have appealed to the EU’s highest court to make Apple pay 13 billion euros ($14.3 billion) in back taxes owed to Ireland. The case will determine whether multinationals may receive tax breaks in exchange for investments and job creation, and has significant implications for corporate tax bills. The EU Commission claims that Apple’s Irish tax rulings artificially reduced its tax burden, while Apple argues that it paid its fair share of taxes in the appropriate country and had already paid taxes in the US. The Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) will deliver its ruling following a non-binding opinion from CJEU Advocate General Giovanni Pitruzzella on November 9, with the outcome potentially contributing to the global movement for fairer corporate tax rates.
EU seeks court’s help in €13bn tax dispute with Apple.
