In the dispute between Apple and the EU Commission over the € 13 billion tax arrears payment in Ireland, the pages meet today before the EU court. In a two-day trial, they will present their arguments and ask questions from the judges. The legal exchange could become a crucial point in the sensational process.
EU Competition Commissioner Margrethe Vestager had asked Apple in August 2016 to pay the billion in Ireland, because the country had granted the iPhone group an impermissible special treatment in the tax conditions. Apple – and Ireland – deny that.
At the heart of the dispute lies the question of where corporate profits have to be taxed. From the point of view of the commission, Apple assigned proceeds to its „administrative seats“ that existed only on paper instead of paying taxes in Europe. The Group declares that much of its profits are taxable in the United States, because in the home country with the development work and the values would be created.
