[valuearb]

First of all, nothing has been settled. This is just escrow, both Apple and Ireland are appealing.

Second, what Apple did was both legal and ethical. It had $200B in cash that it had already paid taxes on to the countries where it was earned. Ireland offered them a near zero tax rate on the interest it would earn if they deposited it in Irish banks. That was a great deal for Ireland, and a good deal for Apple, and hurt no one.

[matt4077]

> and hurt no one.

It hurt whatever country didn't participate in Ireland's race to the bottom, and would have been Apple's preferred base of operations when ignoring tax issues.

[valuearb]

There is no race to the bottom on bank deposits, Apple already paid taxes on these earnings to every european country.

[matt4077]

?

There isn't even a tax on bank deposits, in any country I know. So what, exactly, do you think this case is about?

[valuearb]

Talking about taxes on interest, not deposits.

[ainiriand]

It hurts because it adds to the already big amount of inequality in this country (Ireland). Me, as a software engineer, I am pretty much accommodated economically but you should see the amount of junkies and homeless people in this town. It is shocking.

[Supernaut]

In what way do Apple's tax arrangements here lead to people choosing to inject themselves with heroin?

[valuearb]

Do you really think that having Apple not invest billions of dollars in Ireland is going to help the homeless?