The Tanaiste has said any issues in relation to taxes of tech giant Apple is an issue for other jurisdictions. Eamon Gilmore was speaking after Apple was accused of using Ireland as a way of avoiding tens of billions of euro in tax.
A US Senate report said the iPhone maker avoided paying tax by setting up companies in Ireland which paid little or no tax on sales of the company's products outside America.
The report by the Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations said Apple had agreed tax a rate of just 2% with the Irish government. That is well below the corporation tax rate of 12.5%.
In a statement the company says it does not use tax gimmicks. Apple employs 4,000 people at its European headquarters in Cork.
In testimony released Monday night the technology company also called for legislation "that dramatically simplifies the US corporate tax system".
It says this comprehensive reform should:
- Be revenue neutral
- Eliminate all corporate tax expenditures
- Lower corporate income tax rates
- Implement a reasonable tax on foreign earnings that allows free movement of capital back to the US
Apple's favoured Bill would lower the US corporate tax rate from 35% which is the highest in the developed world - paying for the reduction by scrapping all business tax breaks.
Speaking in Brussels this morning, Tanaiste Eamon Gilmore has said there is no issue with the Irish tax system.
