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ER Editor: Legal errors and a review get Ireland 13 billion euros from Apple in a years-long case. And the EU recoups 2.4 bn euros from Google. Is the EU finally doing something right? This smells of a sea change somewhere
Irish people we know who are a little informed wonder if this isn’t somehow related to the Nesara-Gesara situation. We’re wondering about EO 13818 signed by Trump and still in force.
“Big Win”: EU’s Vestager Celebrates As Apple Loses €13bn Ireland Tax Bill Case
Outgoing EU competition chief Margrethe Vestager scored a major victory on Tuesday after the European Court of Justice (ECJ) ruled against Apple in the decade-long battle over the tech giant’s “sweetheart” tax affairs in Ireland.
“Today is a big win for European citizens and for tax justice. The Court of Justice confirms that Ireland granted Apple unlawful aid which Ireland now has to recover, and the Commission’s decision in the Google Shopping antitrust case,” Vestager said in a press conference on Tuesday.
“Today is a big win for European citizens and for tax justice.
The Court of Justice confirms that Ireland granted Apple unlawful aid which Ireland now has to recover, and the Commission’s decision in the Google Shopping antitrust case.”
— Executive Vice President @vestager pic.twitter.com/1Fko0F66S2
— European Commission (@EU_Commission) September 10, 2024
The European Commission first investigated Apple’s tax payments in Ireland in 2014. By 2016, the Commission demanded Dublin to recover 13 billion euros ($14.4 billion) in back taxes from the US-based company. In 2019, Apple appealed the Commission’s decision, and in 2020, the EU General Court ruled in Apple’s favor. The EU’s second-highest court rejected the Commission’s 2016 decision and said that the executive arm did not demonstrate that the Irish government had given Apple a tax advantage. Like a game of ping-pong, the Commission appealed the General Court’s decision, which ultimately sent the litigation to the ECJ for final ruling.
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This is also referred to in the RT report below —
EU court rules Google must pay €2.4bn fine
Europe’s top court has ruled Google must pay a €2.4bn (£2bn) fine handed down for abusing the market dominance of its shopping comparison service.
The tech giant had appealed against the fine, which was originally levied by the European Commission in 2017.
It was at the time the largest penalty the Commission had ever imposed – though it has since been supplanted by a €4.3bn fine, also against Google.
Google said it was “disappointed” with the ruling.
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EU court orders Apple to pay Ireland €13 billion
The tax saga involving the US tech giant is part of an antitrust crackdown in the bloc
RT
The EU’s highest court has ordered US tech giant Apple to pay €13 billion ($14.4 billion) to Ireland in back taxes as part of the bloc’s crackdown on special deals agreed by multinationals and governments.
The EU Court of Justice (ECJ) released the judgement in a statement on Tuesday. The European Commission initially issued the order back in 2016, saying that Apple had benefited for over two decades from two Irish tax rulings that artificially reduced its tax burden. The country’s low tax rates helped it attract Big Tech companies to set up their European headquarters.
The decision was overturned by the EU’s second-highest court in 2020, following appeals by Ireland and Apple. Last year, however, an ECJ advocate-general said that the EU tribunal had made legal errors when it ruled in the tech giant’s favor and recommended a review of the case.
“The Court of Justice gives final judgment in the matter and confirms the European Commission’s 2016 decision: Ireland granted Apple unlawful aid which Ireland is required to recover,” ECJ judges said, as quoted by Reuters.
Apple has expressed disappointment with the ruling.
“The European Commission is trying to retroactively change the rules and ignore that, as required by international tax law, our income was already subject to taxes in the US,” the agency cited the company’s statement as saying.
The EU has sought to tackle issues posed by largely American tech multinationals, from data protection to taxation and antitrust.
Google lost a separate appeal on Tuesday against a €2.4bn EU fine for favoring its own services. (ER: See BBC report above)
In March, Apple was hit by an antitrust fine of €1.8 billion for abusing its dominant position in the music streaming market.
Brussels also adopted the EU’s Digital Markets Act last year, which has forced companies including Apple, Alphabet, and Meta to change some of their practices in the bloc.
Source
Featured image source: https://www.zerohedge.com/technology/big-win-eus-vestager-celebrates-apple-loses-eu13bn-ireland-tax-bill-case
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I don’t know why it would be a celebration since it means an independent nation doesn’t have the right to cut a deal with whoever they want.
Anything coming from the EU(SSR) is suspect. it’s a dictatorship that milks its victims to exist.
Now, that the rotten Irish government must pay for its corruption is good, but not to the EUSSR, the money should go to Irish people and to enforce strong borders to stop the UN/EU/irish gov organized invasion of Ireland.
The money should also be used to pay for the people who suffered from injuries or deaths after the covid jab and finally to sue and jail those responsible for these crimes, of which in the first place, piece of shit simon harris who was “health” minister during the covid SCAMDEMIC.