Firms ‘have avoided €130bn taxes’ in past decade

An unknown number of multinational firms have side-stepped more than €130 billion in unpaid taxes over the past decade because of loopholes in the Irish system.

Opposition parties made the claim yesterday as they accused Government of putting forward “lies” that this country’s corporation tax rate is at risk from the European Commission’s €13bn Apple tax ruling.

Speaking under Dáil privilege, People before Profit TD Richard Boyd Barrett and Sinn Féin’s finance spokesperson Pearse Doherty alleged that numerous companies have taken advantage of Ireland’s tax laws to avoid paying vast sums of money which would normally be owed to the taxpayer.