This is the weirdest tax case in history... Apple found a way to pay 0.005% tax while others paid 12.5%. The EU demanded $13 billion in revenge. But Ireland fought AGAINST receiving $13 billion in tax money. This is the bizarre story that exposed Big Tech's biggest secret: Imagine running a company so big itâs worth trillions. Now, imagine getting a âŹ13 billion tax bill from the EU. Thatâs exactly what happened to Apple in 2016. The EU found that Apple paid only 0.005% in taxes in Ireland in 2014. To put it simply, for every $10,000 Apple earned, they paid just 50 cents in tax. How did this happen? Apple set up two Irish companies, ASI and AOE, to handle its profits from Europe. These companies werenât fully taxed anywhere because they didnât count as tax residents in any country. This allowed Apple to save billions, but the EU said it gave Apple an unfair advantage over other businesses. The EU said this was unfair and called it âillegal state aid.â But hereâs where it gets surprising: both Apple and Ireland fought back. Why did Ireland defend Apple? Because Irelandâs low taxes had attracted tech giants, creating thousands of jobs and boosting its economy. If they took Appleâs âŹ13 billion, they feared other companies might leave. Appleâs CEO, Tim Cook, didnât hold back. He called the EUâs decision âpolitical nonsenseâ and said Apple had already paid $20 billion in U.S. taxes. This legal battle lasted years and wasnât just about Apple. It showed how big companies use loopholes to pay less tax and started a global push for fairer rules. In the end, this case wasnât just about taxes. It changed how the world thinks about business, fairness, and global tax systems.
Download the medial app to read full posts, comements and news.