Sinn Féin 'Astonished' Govt Want To Appeal EC Ruling On Apple Tax Deal

The Apple style "sweetheart deals" lessen opportunities for ordinary businesses, Sinn Féin has said.

Martin Kenny TD said that Apple avoiding its tax obligations exposes successive Irish governments failure to maintain a level playing field for all businesses in the jurisdiction.

"The government has an obligation to ensure that there is level playing field for all businesses in the jurisdiction, and this arrangement which was in place for Apple up until 2014, clearly gave a massive advantage to the biggest corporation in the world," Deputy Kenny said.

"No small manufacturing company or publican or hairdresser could have hidden 99% of their profits in something called head office and expect to be let away with it, and that is what is outraging people all over the country.

"What we have is the biggest corporation in the world taking all its profits from Europe, Asia and Africa into Ireland where they were allowed to avoid paying tax to any taxation authority on almost all these huge profits. The sweetheart deal for Apple was simply wrong and should never have happened and now it has come home to roost."

Deputy Kenny said that it was "even more astonishing" that the government is considering appealing the European Commission ruling.

"When has anyone ever heard of a government not wanting to collect tax? The talk of damage to our international reputation is an insult to the intelligence of Irish people," Deputy Kenny added.

"Ireland has one of the lowest corporate tax rates in a developed economy at 12.5% and that offers advantages to many international companies who are based here. They should all have paid that 12.5% on their profits, just the same as any Irish company - we need to establish a level paying field."

(MH/LM)