Apple, Enda Kenny, The Irish people want their taxes back !
Apple boss Tim Cook flew into Brussels on Thursday to
lobby the EU Commissioner Margrethe Vestage over a landmark judgement that
could see the company forced to pay billions in back taxes to the Irish
government. The fact that he can do that is discomforting in itself.
Bloomberg Intelligence estimates that the potential
windfall for the Irish Revenue Commissioners could be €8 billion while JP
Morgan suggests that Apple could have to pay €19 billion.
“You would think that the Irish government would be
delighted with getting this huge amount of money. It would allow them to end
the chaos in Irish hospitals because they could recruit more staff. They also
could use the money to build the tens of thousands of social housing units that
are desperately needed.
“But, tragically, Apple has enlisted the Irish
government as one of its chief lobbyists in derailing an EU judgement. It has
said that it does not want the money and that if the EU commissioner makes a
ruling for back taxes they will appeal the decision.
“One immediate result of Irish government lobbying is
that the announcement of the EU judgement has been postponed until after the
General Election. We are being forced to fight such an election on a ‘how
much does your promise cost’ basis without knowing the full extent of back
taxes.
“Irish taxpayers’ money should not be used to send
officials to Brussels to lobby against the Irish people receiving taxes that
have been dodged for over ten years.
“The Apple scandal shows where the culture of
multi-national blackmail leads. We have been told repeatedly that we must
give them a low tax regime because they ‘create jobs’. Every proposal to make
them pay a modest tax has been dismissed as ‘wrecking the economy’.
"Now we have finally arrived at the greatest
absurdity of all – a government that is spending money to ensure that its’ own
people do not receive the huge sums they are owed”.
Their effective tax rate in Ireland falls way short of the 12.5% they are supposed to pay. (Some experts say it's only 2.5%)
This means that YOU have to pay USC, property tax etc. to make up the shortfall. This is a government that will never fight for YOU. They'd rather spend your money to save billions for multi-nationals.
Welcome to Ireland, a tax haven, tax-dodgers paradise. But, it's the greatest little country to rob the people in.