Following this morning’s ruling that Apple underpaid €13bn in tax owed to Ireland, People Before Profit Finance spokesperson and Oireachtas Finance Committee member Richard Boyd Barrett said “The European Court of Justice has determined that €13.1 billion is due from Apple to Ireland in underpaid taxes for the period from 2003 and 2014. The Government must now move quickly to collect what is owed to the people of Ireland.
People Before Profit has been campaigning for many years for an end to the corporation tax loopholes that riddle tax haven Ireland. These sweetheart deals have benefited massive corporations like Apple at the expense of the people of Ireland. This ruling is a vindication of our campaigning and a condemnation of successive Irish governments that have served the interests of the world’s largest corporations instead of ordinary people”.
€10 million of taxpayers’ money has been spent on legal firms so that they can construct an argument for refusing the €13 billion.
Deputy Boyd Barrett said “It’s a disgrace that the Government has spent many millions of Euros on legal fees trying to avoid collecting this money that is owed to the people of Ireland.
I’m calling on the Government to confirm that it will no longer support Apple’s appeals and legal manoeuvres. The Government’s cooperation with Apple has assisted Apple and prolonged this case. The Government must say if it will now drop any further appeals and legal participation with Apple against the tax owed.
The Government must now stop resisting collection of this tax and must immediately collect and use the funds to build the homes and invest in public services such as the health service, additional education needs places, and transport and other infrastructure projects that we so urgently need.
The vast amount owed by Apple is enough to build over 40,000 new homes. The Government has let the housing crisis spiral out of control while working flat out to try and give €13.1bn that is owed to the Irish people to Apple’s shareholders. The Government must end its legal attempts to avoid collecting what is rightfully ours and must put the funds to work to end the housing.