Q&A: Getting to the core of the EU attempt to put the bite on Apple

An Apple windfall awaits us, so why won’t we shake the tree? Caroline O’Doherty looks at the tax sweetener that’s turned sour

What’s the background to the Apple case?

In 2013, the US Senate began probing why some big American companies were paying tiny sums in taxes on vast profits earned abroad. Apple, one of the world’s biggest tech companies, was a particular focus. The probe found two of its key subsidiaries, Apple Operations International and Apple Sales International, were registered in Ireland but paying a pittance in tax here — or anywhere else.