Apple denies tax 'sweetheart deal' accusation
Apple has refuted suggestions from the European Union that it benefits from ilegal "State Aid" in its Irish operations.
A preliminary finding by the European Commission (EC) has found that Ireland provided illegal state aid to tech giant Apple for more than 20 years, which has left the company facing the possibility of a fine of of billions of Euros.
In a statement issued today the EC said that it believed that the "sweetheart" tax deals between Apple and the Irish government constituted illegal “state aid” that gave the company a competitive advantage in the in the European market that “is obtained every year and ongoing”.
The EC can levy a fine on companies of up to 10 per cent of their annual turnover.
In a statement Apple said: "Apple has received no selective treatment from Irish officials over the years. We're subject to the same tax laws as the countless other companies who do business in Ireland.
The company added: "Our success in Europe and around the world is the result of hard work and innovation by our employees, not any special arrangements with the government. Apple has received no selective treatment from Irish officials over the years. We're subject to the same tax laws as the countless other companies who do business in Ireland."
The Irish government said it would not comment as there was an ongoing investigation.
The tax controversy follows a difficult few days for Apple after the botched launch of their iOS8 update and the “bendgate” issue over the iPhone 6 led to widespread mockery on social media.