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| Apple tax row: Ireland says its tax regime is not to blame | Apple tax row: Ireland says its tax regime is not to blame |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| Ireland's deputy prime minister Eamon Gilmore has insisted any loopholes in international tax rules exploited by Apple were not the fault of the Irish tax regime. | Ireland's deputy prime minister Eamon Gilmore has insisted any loopholes in international tax rules exploited by Apple were not the fault of the Irish tax regime. |
| Some of the computing group's Irish subsidiaries have been criticised by a US Senate committee because they appear not to be designated as tax-resident anywhere in the world. One source on the committee called them "iCompanies – 'I' for imaginary, invisible". | Some of the computing group's Irish subsidiaries have been criticised by a US Senate committee because they appear not to be designated as tax-resident anywhere in the world. One source on the committee called them "iCompanies – 'I' for imaginary, invisible". |
| A main European subsidiary of Apple Inc, a holding company that includes Apple's retail stores throughout Europe, had not paid any corporate income tax in the last five years, according to a 40-page memorandum from the cross-party committee. | A main European subsidiary of Apple Inc, a holding company that includes Apple's retail stores throughout Europe, had not paid any corporate income tax in the last five years, according to a 40-page memorandum from the cross-party committee. |
| "They are not issues that arise from the Irish taxation system," said Gilmore, an Irish Labour party politician who is also Ireland's minister for foreign affairs and trade. | "They are not issues that arise from the Irish taxation system," said Gilmore, an Irish Labour party politician who is also Ireland's minister for foreign affairs and trade. |
| Asked about the Senate committee's report, he told national broadcaster RTE: "They are issues that arise from the taxation systems in other jurisdictions and that is an issue that has to be addressed first of all in those jurisdictions." | Asked about the Senate committee's report, he told national broadcaster RTE: "They are issues that arise from the taxation systems in other jurisdictions and that is an issue that has to be addressed first of all in those jurisdictions." |
| Gilmore was speaking from Brussels, where the European parliament backed a common European strategy to combat tax fraud, evasion and havens. Ireland currently holds the EU presidency. | |
| Sharon Bowles MEP, who chairs the European parliament's economic and monetary affairs committee, said: "It is totally unacceptable that corporate tax avoidance is now the norm in Europe, aided and abetted by aggressive tax planning and tax consultancy firms." | |
| She added: "The European parliament vote today sends a strong signal to Europe's Finance Ministers, ahead of the EU Summit tomorrow, that the time has come to clamp down on tax evasion and tax havens once and for all. | |
| "Hopefully, Mr Osborne sees that the EU can in fact help the UK in combating a problem that costs the Inland Revenue an estimated £4bn a year." | |
| The Senate committee found one of Apple's Irish subsidiaries, with an address in Cork, received $29.9bn (£19bn) in dividends from lower-tiered offshore Apple affiliates from 2009 to 2012, comprising 30% of Apple's total worldwide net profits, its report said. | The Senate committee found one of Apple's Irish subsidiaries, with an address in Cork, received $29.9bn (£19bn) in dividends from lower-tiered offshore Apple affiliates from 2009 to 2012, comprising 30% of Apple's total worldwide net profits, its report said. |
| The report said it exploited a difference between Irish and US tax residency rules. | The report said it exploited a difference between Irish and US tax residency rules. |
| Apple said in a comment posted online on Monday it does not use "tax gimmicks". It said the existence of its subsidiary "Apple Operations International" in Ireland does not reduce Apple's US tax liability and the company will pay more than $7bn in US taxes in 2013. | Apple said in a comment posted online on Monday it does not use "tax gimmicks". It said the existence of its subsidiary "Apple Operations International" in Ireland does not reduce Apple's US tax liability and the company will pay more than $7bn in US taxes in 2013. |
| A number of American multinationals, including Google and Facebook, have their European headquarters in Ireland to take advantage of its low corporate tax rate. | A number of American multinationals, including Google and Facebook, have their European headquarters in Ireland to take advantage of its low corporate tax rate. |
| Ireland's main rate of corporation tax is 12.5%. | Ireland's main rate of corporation tax is 12.5%. |