EU orders Apple to pay Ireland billions in back taxes

LONDON

U.S. technology giant Apple must pay 13 billion euros ($14.5 billion) to Ireland in back taxes, the European Commission ruled Tuesday.

The commission said Ireland gave Apple illegal tax benefits at the end of a tax affairs investigation launched in 2014.

“Irish tax rulings to Apple are illegal state aid. Effective taxation as low as 0.005 pct. Apple has to repay up to €13 billion unpaid tax,” EU Commissioner Margrethe Vestager said on Twitter

Apple opened its first base in Ireland in 1980 and it employees around 6,000 people. Despite the tax affairs investigation by the EU, it has decided to expand its base in Cork – a decision that will create approximately 1,000 more jobs.