Ireland 🇮🇪 forced to collect Apple's disputed €13bn tax bill

Ireland is to comply with a European Commission order to collect a disputed €13bn tax bill from the US firm Apple.

The Irish Finance Ministry said in a statement: "These sums will be placed into an escrow fund with the proceeds being released only when there has been a final determination in the European Courts over the validity of the Commission's Decision."

An Apple spokesperson said the company was confident the General Court would overturn the Commission's decision: "The Commission's case against Ireland has never been about how much Apple pays in taxes, it's about which government gets the money.

Ireland's reluctance to collect the taxes from Apple is partly because it believes it may damage its reputation as an investment destination which has attracted multi-national companies such as Apple, Intel and Pfizer.

At the time, Ms Vestager said that Ireland had given Apple "selective treatment" enabling it to "pay substantially less tax than other businesses over many years."

UCJ, UNILORIN.