STRASBOURG (Sputnik) — On August 30, the European Commission found that Ireland had provided Apple with up to $14.5 billion in illegal tax benefits, allowing the corporation to pay less than 1 percent in taxes between 1991 and 2007. The Commission ordered Apple to repay the amount to Ireland.
"Fixing of tax rates, the collection of tax is a competency of the member states, it is not a matter for the European Union, and Ireland will do anything and everything that it has to do in order to protect its right and its competency in that regard," O Fearghail said on the sidelines of the European Conference of Presidents of Parliament.
Apple has paid all the taxes it legally owed, he stressed, adding that there are certain international issues related to tax avoidance through legal loopholes which Ireland has moved to address on its part.
"Many of the EU member states are quite frankly jealous of the extent at which Ireland has succeeded in attracting multinational players. European member states are not supportive of the fact that we have a 12.5 percent corporate taxation regime," he said.
