Apple owe the Irish state €13 billion in back taxes.

And that money could be used to help us over the Covid-19 crisis. The government should hire tens of thousands of workers for a massive Care and Repair programme. We need more cleaners, teachers, contact tracers and builders who will retrofit houses and construct social housing. Behind the Apple story lies a massive scandal. Here are some of the facts: Apple came to Ireland in 1981 and got a deal where they paid no tax for ten years. Then their tax advisors wrote a scheme – which Revenue Commissioners immediately agreed – to pay just 2% in tax. After 2007, they reduced their tax bill even further. When the EU ruled that they owned the Irish people €13 billion in back taxes, Apple got onto Fianna Fail and Fine Gael for help. The last government paid out €8.4 million in legal fees to stop the Irish people getting the money that Apple owed. One firm, William Fry, got €3 million. The government also changed the tax laws – so that even today Apple is getting away with tiny amounts of tax. Meanwhile PAYE workers pay a higher marginal tax at a lower threshold then most other OECD countries. And what do we get for it? Higher class sizes; waiting lists in hospital and a lack of social housing. We should force the big corporations to pay a minimum rate of tax – and give PAYE workers a break. The post Apple: We Could Use The €13 Billion To Get Over The Covid-19 Crisis appeared first on People Before Profit.