Apple to Pay a Hefty Tax Bill in Italy

1 minute read
BRAZIL-IT-APPLE-STORE
View of the famous logo at new Apple store in Barra da Tijuca, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on Februrary 16, 2014. Some 1,700 impatient shoppers lined up for hours on the eve for the grand opening of Apple's store in Rio de Janeiro -- the first official outpost in South America. AFP PHOTO / YASUYOSHI CHIBA (Photo credit should read YASUYOSHI CHIBA/AFP/Getty Images)YASUYOSHI CHIBA—AFP/Getty Images
By Victor Luckerson

Apple will pay Italy a reported 318 million euros ($348 million) to settle a dispute over the tech giant’s tax liability in the country.

Italy’s tax authority began investigating Apple in 2013 for funneling more than $1 billion in income earned in Italy to an Irish subsidiary. The corporate tax rate in Ireland, at 12.5%, is one of the lowest in the world. Apple did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

European regulators are increasingly cracking down on U.S. firms that try to shift money among countries to lower their taxes. Amazon and McDonald’s are dealing with tax inquiries in Luxembourg, while Starbucks is expected to be forced to pay additional taxes in the Netherlands.

[NYT]

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