Financial Times: – Apple must pay several billion euros in tax expense – Aftenposten

The European Commission has concluded that the US IT giant Apple has received illegal state aid from the government in Dublin. It writes the Financial Times.

The European Commission has since 2014 investigated Apple’s tax treaties with Ireland, and according to the Financial Times, the decision will be published this week. The newspaper spoke with several sources who have access to the decision.

The sources claim Apple would be looking at Europe’s largest fine in a tax ever. IT giant must reportedly pay several billion euros in penalty tax.

It is expected that competition commissioner Margrethe Vestager comes with an exact amount on Tuesday.

The news agency Reuters has been in contact with the Commission, who did not want to comment on the matter.

have paid less than 2 percent tax to Ireland

Apple has paid 2 percent – or less – in taxes in Ireland and had attractive tax agreements with authorities in more than two decades.

the American big bank JPMorgan has previously estimated that Apple might have to pay 19 billion euros in penalty tax. Past estimates have been between EUR 1 billion and 8 billion euros.

European Commission report, according to the Financial Times to be 130 pages long. As late as Monday morning will EU Competition Commissioner Margrethe Vestager have sent the report to their counterparts in the EU.

Apparently she have waited so long to reduce the risk of leaks. It is common practice to notify two weeks in advance.

It is expected that both Apple and Ireland anchor decision from the European Commission. Both parties have denied having done anything wrong.

Last year had Apple to pay 318 million euros in penalty tax after being investigated for tax fraud in Italy.

USA – EU acting as a supranational taxman

last week sent Treasury of the United States back hard against the European Commission’s investigation of Apple and other companies, lucrative tax deals in Europe. Americans believe that agreements are a matter between the companies and the individual countries.

Finance Ministry accuses the European Commission to act as “a supranational tax collector,” and suggests also that the EU goes especially for US companies. European Commission refuses on his side for this and points out that the law is equal for everyone.

The European Commission has previously explained that tax treaties between Dublin and Apple is similar to State aid and therefore violate EU reglerom a free internal market .

Ireland removed loopholes in tax

Irish authorities have previously stated that they are confident that the agreements with Apple’s violation of state aid rules. Yet they have removed the loophole that makes it lucrative for Apple to operate in the country.

Multinational corporations have been able to use a system known as “double Irish” to move profits from one country to another, where the tax is lower.

Apple can still benefit from the scheme, the change in the tax rules applicable in the first place new companies.