Apple may face huge Irish tax bill from EU ruling
Tech company is under scrutiny from the body and its tax dealings are expected to be declared illegal
- Order from the European Commission could lead to a bill of billions
Updated : 08:17
Tech giant Apple is facing the possibility of paying a huge sum to the Irish government, as the European Union is widely expected to rule that its tax dealings in the country have been illegal.
The group's executive body, the European Commission, is set to make public in the next few days its ruling that Apple received favourable tax arrangements from the Irish state.
The total bill is thought to run into billions of euros, and it is likely that the company will appeal - as well as having the support of government ministers in the country.
According to the Irish Times, government buildings circulated a memo at the weekend which pledged their support for Apple in contesting the decision.
Estimates of the exact figure that would be demanded from the tech giant vary widely, with JP Morgan warning that it could be as much as €19 billion, while some government ministers have played down the figure, believing it to be closer to €100 million.
Ireland is a popular choice for many big technology firms due to its location as a link between North America and Europe, on top of its low rates for corporation tax.
Apple CEO Tim Cook previously rubbished claims that his company is cheating on its taxes, dismissing the allegations as "political crap" in an interview earlier this year.