The decision of the European Commission to appeal the decision on alleged state aid from Ireland to Apple to the European Court of Justice is unfortunate from an Irish viewpoint. However, it ensures the issue remains in the spotlight at a time when Ireland is already under pressure on the corporate tax issue. In July, the EU General Court ruled that the commission had erred in its decision that Ireland had offered illegal State aid to Apple, upholding the appeal put forward by the State and Apple. ‘Tax haven’Already the country is facing increasing charges of being a “tax haven” and faces longer-term threats to its corporate tax revenue base. In the meantime, sparks could fly on the corporate tax issue during the US election campaign and the risk of this creating wider trade tensions remains real.

Source: The Irish Times September 27, 2020 22:52 UTC