Apple Must Pay Billions for Tax Breaks in Ireland, E.U. Orders - The New York Times

"Europe’s antitrust enforcer ordered Ireland on Tuesday to claw back billions from Apple over illegal tax breaks, a move that will ramp up trans-Atlantic tensions over how much global companies should pay to countries where they do business.

The decision by Margrethe Vestager, the European Union commissioner for competition, is the culmination of a two-year investigation into whether Ireland gave preferential treatment to Apple, part of a broader crackdown on corporate tax avoidance.

The clawback from Apple, which covers 10 years of back taxes of up to 13 billion euros, or about $14.5 billion, from Apple, is the largest of its kind since the European Commission, the executive arm of the 28-member union, started going after member states that favored selected companies.

The ruling adds to a strained relationship between the United States and the European Union over who has the right to regulate tax payments by some of the world’s largest companies."

Apple Must Pay Billions for Tax Breaks in Ireland, E.U. Orders - The New York Times