Apple In Ireland

[Ric.ror]

Isn't this the point of Brexit?
If I was Theresa May I would get in there straight away and then - just to further muddy the waters - I would point them in the direction of Scotland - see how that would go down.

[Gromit]

Apple and the Irish Government have appealed the decision.
Apple can afford the top lawyers who will probably prove that the EU is breaking International law.
The EU are indeed trying to usurp Ireland's Parliament and set the counry's taxes for it. It doesn't have the power to do that, and every other country in Europe will put pressure on for the EU to back down because they too, do not want he EU to interfere with their tax collecting avtivities.
May has already made noises about Apple re-locating here, but that will never happen.
Scotland? Nah.

[Ric.ror]

Maybe we could offer them 0.004% - you never know - its got to be worth a shot

So glad I voted Brexit

[Gromit]

// [TimCook, Apple CEO] rejected the assertion by European competition commissioner, Margrethe Vestager, who conducted a three-year investigation into the iPhone maker’s complex tax dealings, that Apple paid just 0.005% tax in Ireland in 2014. She said Apple’s sweetheart tax deal with Ireland constituted illegal state aid.

“It’s total political crap,” Cook said. “They just picked a number from I don’t know where. 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.” //

[DTCwordfan]

We could offer an alliance with Ireland - I'd bet Norway, Sweden and Denmark would quickly follow, Finland and Iceland too....and even Portugal.

[Old_Geezer]

Beware. If you pit one country against the other on an anything goes basis then only the global companies gain, from grants and tax reductions and other bribe-like offers. There ought to be international laws (or codes of practices that civilised countries sign up to) governing what is an acceptable offer and what is not. Not taking a fair amount of tax can easily be a cover for the bribe they aren't allowed to make, up front.

Employment and opportunities aren't going to multiply globally just because governments rush to the bottom to offer the best give-away. What employment/investment opportunities there are simply goes to those prepared to get a contract regardless of the cost.

It removes power from the legitimately elected "democratic" governments and into the hands of commerce/big business/the merchant classes.

[youngmafbog]

//It doesn't have the power to do that//

No, but the EU is definitely working on that one.