Senators stand by tax haven claims

Ireland has rejected claims by two US senators that Ireland is a tax haven and had handed Apple Inc a special tax deal, a charge the pair stood by last night.

Ireland’s ambassador to the US Michael Collins has written to the two senators, Carl Levin and John McCain, arguing that Ireland’s tax system is transparent, according to the text released by the finance ministry.

However, Levin and McCain said records obtained by their committee showed Apple, which has about 4,000 employees in Ireland with the bulk of them based in Cork, paid a nominal rate far below Ireland’s statutory rate of 12.5%.