EU to Appeal Against Apple's $15 Billion Tax Bill Ruling

EU apple taxThe European Commission on Friday said it would appeal a court ruling that overturned its demand that Apple pay 13 billion euros ($14.5 billion) in tax to the Irish government (via CNBC).

"The Commission has decided to appeal before the European Court of Justice the General Court's judgment of July 2020 on the Apple State aid case in Ireland," Margrethe Vestager, the head of competition policy in the EU, said in a statement.

The EU's General Court in July sided with Apple, and said the EU's executive arm, led by antitrust chief Margrethe Vestager, had failed to show Ireland's tax arrangements with the company were illegal state aid.

Both Apple and Ireland appealed the original 2016 ruling, which stated that Apple owed the country over 13 billion euros in tax payments because the arrangements between the two countries were unfair.

In 2016, Apple CEO Tim Cook called the EC's original decision "total political crap" and said that Apple believed it would be reversed. "The decision is wrong, and it's not based on law or facts, it's based on politics. And I think it's very important that we stand up and say that very loudly," said Cook at the time.

The final decision will now be made by the Court of Justice of the EU (CJEU), the highest court in the European Union.

Note: Due to the political or social nature of the discussion regarding this topic, the discussion thread is located in our Political News forum. All forum members and site visitors are welcome to read and follow the thread, but posting is limited to forum members with at least 100 posts.

Popular Stories

AirPods Pro Firmware Feature

Apple Releases New Firmware for AirPods Pro 3, AirPods Pro 2 and AirPods 4

Tuesday October 7, 2025 11:27 am PDT by
Apple today released new firmware designed for the AirPods Pro 3, prior-generation AirPods Pro 2, and the AirPods 4 models. The firmware has a build number of 8A358, up from 8A356. There's no word on what's include in the updated firmware, but the prior 8A356 update added iOS 26 features to the AirPods Pro 2, AirPods Pro 3, and AirPods 4 with ANC. The software introduced better audio quality ...
iOS 26

Everything New in iOS 26.1 Beta 2

Monday October 6, 2025 3:54 pm PDT by
Apple released the second beta of iOS 26.1 and iPadOS 26.1, introducing useful changes to alarms, multitasking on the iPad, and more. There are also subtle tweaks to some of the Liquid Glass design elements as Apple continues to refine iOS 26. Alarms and Timers Alarms set using the Clock app now have a slide to stop button rather than a tap to stop button on the Lock Screen. To snooze an...
john ternus on stage

Gurman: Major Apple Leadership Shakeup Impending With John Ternus as Next CEO

Monday October 6, 2025 6:21 am PDT by
Apple is entering its most significant leadership transition in more than a decade as multiple senior executives prepare to depart and CEO Tim Cook begins to shape the company's next generation of leaders, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. In the latest edition of his "Power On" newsletter, Gurman explained that Jeff Williams, who was viewed as Cook's potential successor for several...
ios 26 1 slide to stop

Apple Fixes Alarms in iOS 26.1

Monday October 6, 2025 11:56 am PDT by
With the second beta of iOS 26.1, Apple updated the design of alarms set on the iPhone, making them harder to dismiss than before. Stopping an alarm in iOS 26.1 beta 2 requires a new Slide to Stop gesture rather than a simple tap. You can continue to tap to snooze an alarm, but if you want to turn it off entirely, you need to use a swipe. Transitioning from a tap to a slide gesture to...
ipad mini 7 feature blue

iPad Mini 8 on the Way: Expected Features and Release Timeline

Monday October 6, 2025 5:05 am PDT by
A new iPad mini is "absolutely" on the way, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. So what should we expect from the successor to the iPad mini 7 that Apple released a year ago? Processor and Performance Apple is working on a next-generation version of the iPad mini (codename J510/J511) that features the A19 Pro chip, according to information found in code that Apple mistakenly shared in...
tag heuer made for iphone

New TAG Heuer Smartwatches Now 'Made for iPhone'

Wednesday October 8, 2025 8:41 am PDT by
TAG Heuer today announced the Connected Calibre E5 smartwatch, now featuring "Made for iPhone" certification as the watchmaker abandons Google's Wear OS. Three years after launching the Calibre E4, the Connected Calibre E5 comes in two case sizes: 45mm and a new, more compact 40mm. They are powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 5100+. The 45mm model features a 1.39-inch AMOLED display, while ...
macbook pro pink

M5 MacBook Pro Could Launch in October as M4 Model Faces Supply Constraints

Monday October 6, 2025 3:23 pm PDT by
Supplies of the 14-inch M4 MacBook Pro model appear to be constrained amid rumors that an upgraded M5 model could launch as soon as this year. As noted by Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, custom configurations of the M4 MacBook Pro model have a delayed shipping date and will not be delivered to customers until October 23 to 28. The restricted supply could be an indication that Apple is planning to...
iphone 17 magsafe silicon rings 1

Apple Modifies In-Store MagSafe Stands to Prevent iPhone 17 Marks

Wednesday October 8, 2025 4:41 am PDT by
Apple has quietly added a protective silicone ring to its in-store MagSafe charging stands following reports of marks appearing on some iPhone 17 series display models, according to Consomac. The apparent move comes after Apple last month confirmed that worn MagSafe chargers in retail stores were causing what appeared to be scratches on the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max. There have...
iOS 26 Feature

iOS 26.1 to iOS 26.4 Will Add These New Features to Your iPhone

Wednesday October 1, 2025 1:26 pm PDT by
iOS 26 was released last month, but the software train never stops, and iOS 26.1 beta testing is already underway. So far, iOS 26.1 makes both Apple Intelligence and Live Translation on compatible AirPods available in additional languages, and it includes some other minor changes across Apple Music, Calendar, Photos, and Safari. More features and changes will follow in future versions,...

Top Rated Comments

MLVC Avatar
66 months ago

It’s times like this where I wonder if countries begin to look at EU membership and begin to think about the “what-if”s...
And next they see the shambles that is Brexit and think "nah, better not"
Score: 32 Votes (Like | Disagree)
T'hain Esh Kelch Avatar
66 months ago

It’s times like this where I wonder if countries begin to look at EU membership and begin to think about the “what-if”s...
We actually have gained a number of good things. I only know a good source in danish, which most likely wouldn't be of good use to you, but here's a great page available in english by a quick google: www.myeu.uk (http://www.myeu.uk)

There's a reason that most europeans actually quite like the EU: https://ec.europa.eu/commfrontoffice/publicopinion/archives/eb/eb49/eb49_report_en.pdf


It's absolutely crazy that even the country that Apple "owes" the tax to, is on Apple's side.
Why? They earn way more than 13B$ long term, and makes them a corporate haven, which provides them with even more money, so it makes pretty good sense for them to be on Apples side.

Why the hell people think the EU is a good thing is absolutely beyond me
Simple: Most people think that companies should pay their share of wealth to the societies they operate in, and not just channel them out of the country.

- why should countries allow their customs and rules be dictated by and rotten, unelected group of old slugs...?
The average age of EU staff in 2018 was 48, which isn't really 'old slugs' by any means. And surprise, surprise, we do actually elect them.
Score: 29 Votes (Like | Disagree)
rodpascoe Avatar
66 months ago

Why the hell people think the EU is a good thing is absolutely beyond me - why should countries allow their customs and rules be dictated by and rotten, unelected group of old slugs...?
Said by someone who clearly has no clue about the EU or how it operates.
Score: 25 Votes (Like | Disagree)
maerz001 Avatar
66 months ago

It's absolutely crazy that even the country that Apple "owes" the tax to, is on Apple's side.

Why the hell people think the EU is a good thing is absolutely beyond me - why should countries allow their customs and rules be dictated by and rotten, unelected group of old slugs...?
What power do you think would a 4 million people country like Ireland, Croatia or Slovenia without the EU have to negotiate with China, US or India???
Score: 17 Votes (Like | Disagree)
MLVC Avatar
66 months ago

It's absolutely crazy that even the country that Apple "owes" the tax to, is on Apple's side.

Why the hell people think the EU is a good thing is absolutely beyond me - why should countries allow their customs and rules be dictated by and rotten, unelected group of old slugs...?
I suggest you read up on the democratic process of the EU, you'll find it's more democratic than some (former) member states.


Today yes, but that debacle will not last forever. If the UK finally extradites it’s collective head from it’s posterior, and the economy finally improves outside of the EU...
I've been hearing this since 2016 and instead of getting better it's continuously getting worse. But I'm sure next year will be the year of the UK. Like it was supposed to be this year, and last year etc.
Score: 17 Votes (Like | Disagree)
[AUT] Thomas Avatar
66 months ago
The EU is trying to create equal levels of business within the EU and countries like Ireland greatly undermined that effort by special taxing one of the largest corporations. And even beyond the EU there is great international efforts to make tax havens unusable.

I certainly hope ya'll find it not OK that Apple paid only a few percent tax while everyone else pays a lot more than that -even in the same country. And like 20-25% in the rest of Europe and 35% (at least back then) in the US.

And, yes it's questionable to now ask that money from Apple that was agreed between Ireland and Apple, but it was also questionable from Ireland and not a safe trade for Apple to make that deal in first place.
Score: 13 Votes (Like | Disagree)