Apple tax ruling not a sound basis for tax policy

If Apple wasn’t the most profitable company in the world, it is likely its tax arrangements would have attracted little attention, writes Seamus Coffey.

THE European Commission’s extraordinary ruling means it believes 60% of Apple’s profits should be taxed in Ireland. Apple does have significant functions in Cork, but there is no way it contributes more than half of its profits.

Apple is hugely profitable because it designs a phone in California that is manufactured in China and branded all around the world that people want to buy. None of those activities are based in Cork.