Apple to add 1000 jobs to Cork payroll

Apple is expanding its Cork, Ireland manufacturing plant - where it builds its iMacs - and will hire up to 1000 more people in the next 18 months. CEO Tim Cook announced the move today in an address to students at Trinity College Dublin. The company already employs 5000 at its Hollyhill campus - a 25 per cent increase over the …

[Your alien overlord - fear me]

If they have to pay the back tax that they owe, what's the betting it'll be iThings for schools and iTune credits rather than cold hard cash.

[Anonymous Coward]

The tax thing is an EU action that's really more against Ireland for making an agreement for a special lower rate (below Ireland's already lowest in the EU rate) for Apple (perhaps as a quid pro quo for Apple's investments there?) I don't think the EU has the authority to do anything but invalidate the agreement going forward, AFAIK it isn't possible for them to retroactively change it.

[Naselus]

As I understand it, if it is deemed unlawful under EU law, then it's also automatically unlawful under Irish law and so Apple would technically be guilty of tax evasion, with the Irish government guilty of aiding and abetting Apple in evading it's own tax regime.

And yes, the EU does have the authority to make the Irish government prosecute Apple for the 'crime' (or at least, they can threaten Ireland with expulsion from the common market if it doesn't, which would basically destroy their economy), leading to the situation where the Irish government prosecutes Apple, with itself as a co-defendant. What they can't do is decree the scale of the repayment, so it's entirely possible for the prosecution (the Irish gov) to agree to settle with the defendants (Apple and, um, the Irish gov) for some 'reasonable sum'.... like one euro. I doubt the EU would really object to that, given the nature of the 'crime'.

[D P Duck]

I'm not sure I can agree with the idea of Ireland's economy being destroyed by expulsion from the EU. That might allow Ireland to decide to postpone its payments to the EU for about, let me think, 1000 years okay?

Actually, I would have no problem with the EU enforcing such rules on Ireland, but only if the same would apply to other areas of Europe that appear to be rather handy (hush, hush) tax havens. For example, they could have a little chat with Monaco, The Netherlands and Luxembourg. Bit of tax dodging going on there (slight understatement).

I think that one euro fine is probably the same as paying tax on "legal" earnings in Monaco.

[John Brown (no body)]

"rather handy (hush, hush) tax havens....Luxembourg."

I wonder where the current EC President is from?

[Anonymous Coward]

1000 times cheaper

than paying any tax.

[chivo243]

1000 warm bodies eh

I'd live in Cork for a very good job...

[Mage]

Temporary

Announcements like this all the time.

Then 1/4 to 1/2 the jobs created.

Grants are trousered.

Then a few years later it's shuttered.

AST, WANG, Dell and others made PCs here and are gone.

[Anonymous Coward]

Irish iMacs

Wonder what % are made in Ireland? Probably single figures, at a guess.

[Mage]

Re: Irish iMacs

iMacs period are a tiny part of Apple's revenue stream. Just like they make some stuff in USA too for political reasons. Apple are largely a marketing driven badge engineering outfit, everything important to revenue is 3rd party China.

[Valeyard]

IS the irish tax rate actually artificially low?

When you set up business in a country you pay for the infrastructure, the education system that had turned kids into your adult employees, the roads to get them to work etc

I'm from Ireland, and the infrastructure is shit so I think the tax charged is bang on for what you get ;)