American tech giant Apple has expressed its “disappointment” following a ruling from the European Union’s highest court, which mandates the company to pay 13 billion euros (approximately $14.4 billion) in overdue taxes.
In 2016, the European Commission required Apple to pay billions in taxes, claiming that the company was avoiding taxes owed in Ireland. A spokesperson for Apple stated, “The European Commission is attempting to change the rules retroactively and overlooks the fact that our income is already taxed in the United States, as per international tax law.”
Apple has been embroiled in a lengthy legal battle against this decision, initially achieving a favorable ruling from the General Court of the European Union, only for the EU Court to ultimately overturn that decision.
The spokesperson further emphasized, “We always pay all the taxes we owe wherever we operate, and there was never any special agreement at all.” They added, “We are disappointed with today’s ruling, as the General Court previously evaluated the facts and categorically canceled this claim.”
