Published September 11, 2024 at 2:31 p.m
EU. IT giant Apple has been ordered by the European Court of Justice to repay 13 billion euros in unpaid taxes to Ireland. Google is also being judged in a separate case where a fine of 2.4 billion euros is determined, because Google has abused its market dominance.
Apple was accused of receiving undue tax advantages in Ireland, which meant the company paid less than one percent in tax.
In 2020, a lower court annulled the European Commission’s decision to increase the company’s rate in 2016, but now the EU Court has changed that decision and followed the Commission’s line.
Google was convicted in 2017 of favoring its own product comparison service over competitors’, which was deemed to harm competition in the single market.
Margrethe Vestager, the EU’s competition commissioner responsible for both cases, called the rulings a victory for fair and equal taxation in Europe.
She also said that she was actually surprised by the court’s decision, explaining that these judgments give the Commission unexpected support to continue its work against illegal state aid and aggressive tax planning.
Vestager also emphasized that this is an important step towards creating fair conditions for companies within the EU.
Source: www.friatider.se
