Apple ordered to pay Ireland $19 billion in back taxes, European Commission rules...

Trump · 30-08-2016, 09:03 PM

This is why the EU is fundamentally wrong and needs to be abolished:

http://www.theage.com.au/business/wo...30-gr4xw8.html

Not many will dispute that Apple needs to pay its fair share of tax as a corporate citizen, but the way the EU went about it is incompatible with national sovereignty.

Hardtopxb · 01-09-2016, 11:38 AM

Yes. I think they (The EU) pushed the boundaries a bit.. Although some of these big Corporations need a kick up the Khyber pass.

MethodX · 02-09-2016, 12:28 AM

US invasion of Ireland now?

mik · 02-09-2016, 01:01 PM

Hmm theres no flies on Apple , theyve been getting away with blue murder as far as tax goes and come out with this statement .

" Apple warned the decision would "have a profound and harmful effect on investment and job creation in Europe".

In other words , lets us have our truck loads of cash or we will start sacking people .

Bill M · 02-09-2016, 02:36 PM

With cash reserves of over 200 billion 14 billion is not too much of a hit for Apple.
With the big corporations paying their fair share of tax $$$ around the world then there will be less gouging of the pockets of the general paye contributors.
The notion of having concern for multinational giants who exploit their host country is amusing

chevypower · 02-09-2016, 02:45 PM

Tax them all you want, but don't be fooled into thinking they won't pass those tax increases onto you, the consumer. If you think they are just going to take it out of their gross profit, and keep the sales prices the same, then you're an idiot. $19 Billion is a lot for a country like Ireland too.

Mercury Bullet · 02-09-2016, 04:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by chevypower

Tax them all you want, but don't be fooled into thinking they won't pass those tax increases onto you, the consumer. If you think they are just going to take it out of their gross profit, and keep the sales prices the same, then you're an idiot. $19 Billion is a lot for a country like Ireland too.

Prices go too high...company goes broke. Simples.
It's not that there aren't alternatives out there.

Apple, Google, Amazon and others are serial economic rapists. Every cent they don't have to pay means it then comes out of our pocket.

Bill M · 02-09-2016, 04:28 PM

No one wants to tax companies out of existence so to state that is misleading, note that is is stated fair share. We squandered the revenue from the mining boom and now the treasurer is warning of future revenue shortfalls, either the multinationals pay their fair share or the services we have taken for granted in the last 50 years get cut.
This is not just the dole but hospitals and emergency services that we all want to be at our beck and call. The corporate and business world co-exist with society and therefore have to stump up for the services they use

Bill M · 02-09-2016, 04:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by chevypower

Tax them all you want, but don't be fooled into thinking they won't pass those tax increases onto you, the consumer. If you think they are just going to take it out of their gross profit, and keep the sales prices the same, then you're an idiot. $19 Billion is a lot for a country like Ireland too.

Chevypower, there is more to the world than just cheap consumer goods prices. I would rather have a first class health system accessible to all rather than "cheap" iphones.
Idiot indeed!

chevypower · 02-09-2016, 11:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bill M

Chevypower, there is more to the world than just cheap consumer goods prices. I would rather have a first class health system accessible to all rather than "cheap" iphones.

Idiot indeed!

Then voluntarily pay more into the system you supposedly support. I don't see any leftists making voluntary tax donations. Oh and consumers are price conscious, that's why they are willing to accept a Chinese, Thai, or Mexican built product for a lower price. So, these high corporate taxes that you think are "helping" the economy, really aren't. If manufacturing stayed affordable and local, you wouldn't have to have so much tax revenue to pay for the dole and subsidies. If you don't like these big corporations, don't buy their products! Nobody forces you to buy phones, computers, etc. Buying products already helps the economy, taxing it more just deters people from doing it as much. It's the most basic economics 101 there is. Glad you admit to being an idiot. Haha

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Franco Cozzo · 03-09-2016, 10:49 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by chevypower

Tax them all you want, but don't be fooled into thinking they won't pass those tax increases onto you, the consumer. If you think they are just going to take it out of their gross profit, and keep the sales prices the same, then you're an idiot. $19 Billion is a lot for a country like Ireland too.

I must be the only business around that absorbs transaction fees, its something like 1.26% of a transaction for a visa or mastercard transaction and 26 cents for a debit card.

I don't set EFTPOS minimums like other places and I wear the transaction fees, its a convenience to me for you to pay by card and its worth the percentages I lose.

Same thing with pricing, I just work on margins, if I can get it from my supplier for less you pay me less.

Sure its not the smartest business decision but people say nice things about me to their friends and I sleep well at night

chevypower · 03-09-2016, 11:27 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Big Damo

I must be the only business around that absorbs transaction fees, its something like 1.26% of a transaction for a visa or mastercard transaction and 26 cents for a debit card.

I don't set EFTPOS minimums like other places and I wear the transaction fees, its a convenience to me for you to pay by card and its worth the percentages I lose.

Same thing with pricing, I just work on margins, if I can get it from my supplier for less you pay me less.

Sure its not the smartest business decision but people say nice things about me to their friends and I sleep well at night

No you're not the only one who absorbs credit card transactions, though many businesses offer a discount for a cash deal. The market won't support a surcharge for credit card transactions. You provide it not because you're generous, you do it because you need it to survive in the current market. That's driven by competition. Your competitors do it to stay competitive, so you have to also. Increased costs drive prices up for the consumer, competition drives them down. Two forces working simultaneously. But you can never sell bellow your costs. So if we can drive costs down and keep competition alive, it's a double win for the consumer.

Maka · 03-09-2016, 08:11 AM

1in 10 jobs in Ireland is the result of those tax arrangements atm, Apple will be joining with Ireland in appealing the EU decision which Brussels is calling economic aid to m/c's, the m/c's tax rate is lower than Ireland's unemployed / carers actual tax rate afaik.

This will be a test case, the outcome will reverberate.... Is 1 in 10 jobs enough of a return? Mmm.... Not sure about that.

cheer's, Maka

Maka · 03-09-2016, 09:47 AM

Irelands special tax rate for m/c's between 2004 - 2014 was under 1%, all of Apples EU profits were funnelled to Apple Ireland then payments was sent to the parent company's R&D dept back home in the US - From WSJ.

Ok, didn't Ireland nearly go under in the GFC? It would make sense to pass extraordinary tax laws to extricate itself from its GFC predicament for the good of the country. Mmm, tough one to be fair (except for the funnelling, please explain?) I hope cool heads ultimately prevail moving forward, its going to be a tough battle in the courts Imo.

cheer's, Maka

**Jastel** · 03-09-2016, 05:26 PM

While I agree some tax concessions are sensible for mining companies, construction etc where thousands of jobs are created and something is actually produced/built...the Apples, Ubers, Air BnB and other tech company's of the world who produce nothing and no (or few) jobs in that location do not deserve similar lenient treatment for what amounts to money laundering and tax avoidance schemes.

Bill M · 05-09-2016, 04:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Loud_Noises

This is why the EU is fundamentally wrong and needs to be abolished:

http://www.theage.com.au/business/wo...30-gr4xw8.html

Not many will dispute that Apple needs to pay its fair share of tax as a corporate citizen, but the way the EU went about it is incompatible with national sovereignty.

National sovereignty is not what the EU is about. One needs to understand why the EU was brought about. The EU was formed out of necessity because Europe could not afford more wars like the two in the 20th century. The idea was to intertwine European economies closely that they could not do without each other. This was also with US blessing for obvious reasons. International relations is bigger than Apple.
cheers
Bill