Inside Story

Has Ireland given illegal tax incentives to Apple?

The European Commission says the Irish government helped Apple artificially lower its tax bill for more than 20 years.

In the biggest tax demand ever imposed by the European Union, the Irish government has been ordered to recover almost $15bn of unpaid taxes from Apple.

The world’s richest technology company has its headquarters in California, US, and its European base in Ireland.

The European Commission says the Irish government granted illegal state aid by helping Apple artificially lower its tax bill for more than 20 years.

Both parties deny tax evasion and are planning appeals.

What does it all mean for doing business in the European Union?

Presenter: Jane Dutton

Guests:

Conor McCabe – University College Dublin

Tove Maria Ryding – European Network on Debt and Development.

Liza Lovdahl-Gormsen – British Institute of International and Comparative Law.