Ireland likely to lose Apple tax deals skirmish

A lengthy legal battle could lie ahead for the Government if European authorities rule against it in relation to its tax dealings with US tech giant Apple.

Sources yesterday indicated that European authorities are likely to back their preliminary findings of last year, in which they said the iPhone maker’s tax arrangements were improperly designed to give the iPhone maker a financial boost in exchange for jobs.

Apple employs 4,000 workers at its European headquarters in Cork City — 25% of its workforce across the continent.