European Union: ECOFIN Discusses Apple Ireland State Aid Ruling

An informal Economic and Financial Affairs Council (ECOFIN) meeting took place on September 9 and 10, 2016, to discuss the implications of the European Council’s ruling that the tax affairs of Apple in Ireland constituted state aid.

A number of the nations represented at the meeting expressed an interest in claiming a part of the €13 billion additional tax that Ireland has been instructed to claim from Apple on the basis that the economic activities that give rise to that liability do not occur only in Ireland, but in other European countries as well.  Ireland is appealing against the ruling.

Further, in response from US criticism that the EU rulings were targeting US companies, the European Commissioner for Economic and Financial Affairs, Taxation and Customs stressed that the rulings were not targeted against the US or any specific companies.