Ireland’s cabinet has agreed to join Apple in appealing against a €13 billion (about $14.5 billion) back tax demand that the European Commission has levied against the Cupertino, California-based company “despite misgivings among independents who back the fragile coalition,” reports Reuters.
The Commission’s ruling this week has angered Washington, which accuses the EU of trying to grab tax revenue that should go to the U.S. government. The White House said President Barack Obama would raise the issue of tax avoidance by some multinational corporations at a summit of the G20 leading economies in China this weekend, adds Reuters.
Tim Cook has branded the European Commission ruling “total political crap.” Apple’s CEO also suggested the “retroactive” tax bill was an attempt by the EU to grab taxes owed to the U.S. treasury and harmonize tax rates across the 28-nation bloc.
