Apple To Be Investigated By the EU Over Tax Affairs

mrspoonsi (2955715) writes "The European Commission is to open a formal investigation into Apple, Starbucks and Fiat in relation to tax arrangements with three EU countries. The firms' arrangements with Ireland, the Netherlands and Luxembourg will be investigated. Announcing the move, tax commissioner Algirdas Semeta said that 'fair tax competition is essential.' Last year, a US Senate investigation accused Ireland of giving special tax treatment to Apple. The European Commission will look at whether the companies' tax affairs breach EU rules on state aid. Competition Commissioner Joaquin Almunia said: 'In the current context of tight public budgets, it is particularly important that large multinationals pay their fair share of taxes.' Countries in Europe cannot allow certain firms to pay less tax than they should, Mr Almunia added."

How do opinions like this still exist...

[Black.Shuck]

In the face of the last 17 years of Apple's progress?

Does software write itself? Services? Store-fronts and their employees? How about hedging against future competition or cannibalisation? Against mistakes like MobileMe or exploding batteries? Against patent-wars with similarly well-endowed companies? Will the time come when they don't sell any more kit because everyone is too satisfied to bother upgrading anymore? Was the last WWDC Keynote an absolute firecracker because of the excitement over the new APIs, or a squib because they didn't announce an iWatch or a TV?

You hardware guys are weird.

Apple's profit is outside of space/time

[Required Snark]

http://www.macobserver.com/tmo/article/eu-set-to-probe-irelands-tax-arrangements-with-apple [macobserver.com]

Ireland's taxation laws allow multinationals to set up subsidiaries that effectively turn them into stateless entities whose revenues are subject to no jurisdiction. It's the definition of entirely legal tax avoidance, and Apple has been among the most successful companies in routing much of its international revenues and earnings through its Irish subsidiaries.

Apple has conspired with the Irish government to move it's profit outside the space/time continuum. How else can you explain "revenues are subject to no jurisdiction?" That means the money has no legal presence anywhere on the planet. Or off the planet, as far as we know.

There are lots of locations where the rule of law doesn't apply. There are places where many different legal systems claim to be in charge. There are places like Antarctica where the international community has set up treaties so that one one country has control. Apple has been able to secrete it's money so it is not in any of these places.

They have outflanked the rule of law. They are in a literal sense "lawless": without law. Yet they make extensive use of the legal system and expect to have their business protected by civil and criminal authorities. It's corporate hypocrisy at it's most blatant.

Why are they getting away with this? I have a counter suggestion: round up all current and former living board members, everyone who was a Chief Executive Anything, put them in indefinite detention and strip them of every asset they have. Why do the deserve legal protection when they have made it their business to be above the law?