The battle in fiscal terms that Apple has in Ireland, not against this country, which is its bundle, but in alliance with it and against the European Commission, is being a complicated and long affair, which could even drag on even longer in the future. weather. But at the same time, this investigation is being peppered with certain accusations that, for some, could be bordering on lack of decorum and insult.
Recall that after last summer's opinion, Tim Cook, as CEO of Apple, issued harsh qualifications in which he spoke of "political shit" to refer to the decision of the European Commission. And now, Cook is being accused of being 'disrespectful' to Ireland and its citizens, due to his refusal to appear before the tax investigation commission.
Tim Cook Refuses to Appear Before Ireland's Tax Inquiry Committee
Tim Cook has been charged with being "disrespectful to the Irish people" after refusing to appear before the tax inquiry committee. According notes the newspaper The Financial Times, the CEO of Apple has rejected ato an invitation to testify before a committee of Irish government officials investigating Apple's tax activity in Ireland, a move by Tim Cook that has been viewed by some as disrespectful.
In a letter addressed to the Members of Parliament who are part of this committee that investigates the fiscal relations between Apple and the State of Ireland, Claire Thwaites, Apple's senior director of government affairs, explained that the company had been advised not to take any direct involvement that could affect the bottom line. You know, it's that of keeping your mouth shut lest what is said will be even more damaging:
Given the sensitive nature of the investigation and the timing, we have been advised not to undertake any other direct activity, which could harm future results. It is on this basis that we are unable to appear before the committee on this occasion.
Clearly, this advice comes from Apple's legal team, and anyone who is fond of courtroom venues and movies will know that it is fairly common advice. In any case, the door has not been closed to an appearance of the company before this commission since the letter states that "we cannot appear before the committee on this occasion."
Unsurprisingly, Apple's response, and in particular Tin Cook's non-appearance, was soon taken advantage of by some Irish politicians. Specifically, Pearse Doherty, a member of the finance committee, has stated that Apple's decision not to attend the meeting was 'disrespectful to the Irish people'. Doherty has wondered why Tim Cook has refused to appear before Ireland, while showing his willingness to appear before the United States Senate.
'Whoever refuses to attend the committee now is disrespectful to the Irish people. On the other hand, Sean Sherlock, a Labor MP and committee member, stated that the refusal to attend the hearing was a 'missed opportunity' by Mr Cook.
It seems clear that another reason why Apple has not wanted to appear is because it wants to distance itself as much as possible from this matter (something, clearly, impossible) and above all, not to give more prominence in the media to this «tax battle ». Undoubtedly, sending Tim Cook to Ireland would arouse the interest of the press around the world, once again moving Apple's tax policy into a topical issue in all media.
In August, EU ordered Ireland to recoup 13.000 billion euros in illegal Apple tax benefitsAlthough the company, through Cook, said it would appeal the decision and "is confident that the Commission's decision will be reversed."
