Workers Solidarity Movement

A bit of great news as the year closes - Apple have been told they owe 13 billion to the Irish state. Great news now in terms of housing, healthcare and eduction where that money is badly needed. But also great news in the long term for workers everywhere as its a blow against corporate tax avoidance.

The European Commission has found that the Irish state failed to provide any justification for the selective treatment given to Apple. We could wish for a stronger ruling, one which found against setting up national tax avoidance schemes for corporations altogether but this will do. In effect Apple has also got away with paying the Irish state pennies in return for it running a tax avoidance scheme that robed everyone across Europe of funds.

Our gombeen government are saying they will appeal the ruling. They want to continue the disgraceful setup where in return for crumbs we allow everyone across the EU to be robbed. It's like our version of a super trawler plundering everyone.

Most sickeningly its hardly that Apple needs the money, its a super profitable company that because of this sort of avoidance scheme is (as of last January) sitting on a 200 billion (yes thats billion) cash pile that it can't bring into the US without paying tax on it. We are endurng the worst housing crisis in the history of the state so that Apple shareholders at some point in the future can have an even bigger payday.

Can't until now that is, there is a lot of speculation that once he is president Trump will do a deal with Apple and similar companies allowing them to bring the cash in without penalties. In other words there is a very good chance that the Irish state's 'pennies for billions' tax avoidance scam is about to be brought crashing down.

WORDS: Andrew Flood (Follow Andrew on Twitter )