Brussels humiliated as judges rule against its £11.8billion tax grab on Apple

15th July 2020

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BRUSSELS was humiliated today as judges ruled against its £11.8billion tax grab on Apple in a major victory for Donald Trump.

An EU court said the Commission was “wrong” to have ordered the tech giant to hand over the huge sum to Ireland’s government.

In a win for boss Tim Cook, Apple won’t have to pay an £11.8billion Irish tax bill

Donald Trump accused Brussels of persecuting big US companies with punitive new laws and competition probes

The US President has accused eurocrats of persecuting big US companies with punitive new laws and competition probes.

Brussels accused Dublin of charging Apple a minimal tax rate of just 0.05 per cent on billions in profits, which it said amounted to state aid.

The tech giant teamed up with the Irish government to fight the decision.

Both said they had been vindicated by the ruling.

In response the Commission announced it will look for legal workarounds to override national vetoes on tax affairs.

EU tax boss Margrethe Vestager said eurocrats will consider “legislation to address loopholes” in light of the verdict.

She said: “The Commission stands fully behind the objective that all companies should pay their fair share of tax.

“If Member States give certain multinational companies tax advantages not available to their rivals, this harms fair competition in the EU.

“It also deprives the public purse and citizens of funds for much needed investments – the need for which is even more acute during times of crisis.”

Brussels has the possibility to appeal the verdict in a higher EU court.

EU tax boss Margrethe Vestager said eurocrats will now consider ‘legislation to address loopholes’ in light of the ruling

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