Sir, – Our German readers are curious whether reports are true that the Irish Government has made a deal with Apple to the effect the Apple is only paying a two per cent tax on its income and that Apple has been using this non-taxing-regime to escape paying their fair share for using infrastructure in the US and the rest of Europe. Proper taxing of Apple’s billions of income would make EU subsidies for Ireland superfluous it seems. Any idea how to communicate these Irish decisions to German consumers? – Yours, etc,
HERMANN TENHAGEN,
Chief Editor, Finanztest,
Lützowplatz,
Berlin, Germany.
Sir, – With all the furore over the tax avoidance by Apple, I presume that it has an app for that? – Yours, etc,
THOMAS KING,
Solomons Manor,
Letterkenny,
Co Donegal.
Sir, – On Tuesday morning I listened to concerns about favourable tax deals for computer giants. This afternoon I heard distraught parents fight for medical cards for their children undergoing treatment for cancer. It brought a whole new meaning to the phrase, “An apple a day keeps the doctor away”. – Yours, etc,
ANN MULLIGAN,
Downside, Skerries, Co Dublin.
Sir, – Colm Keena (Business, May 22nd) makes a crucial point as regards multinational investment in Ireland. Many companies have “real business operations here, employing thousands of people” however, most importantly “the separate, tax-driven nature of the IP holding company gets partially camouflaged”.
Maybe this is a reason why many have such high-profile operations in Ireland? – Yours, etc,
AIDAN O’SULLIVAN,
Avenue de Armee ,
Brussels, Belgium.
Sir, – Having jumped on the anti-austerity bandwagon last week, Vincent Browne (Opinion, May 22nd) is on the anti-tax haven bandwagon this week.
I am sure all the workers who depend for their livelihoods on the companies that Vincent Browne is attacking will not be too pleased.
He would be better off looking into the tax regimes of much more self-important and powerful countries to see what they are doing.
Joining an international bandwagon of powerful countries by having a go at this small democratic republic, which was subject to economic exploitation during hundreds of years of colonisation, for its tax regime is facile.
It was obviously more difficult to highlight the dangers during the Celtic tiger period which eventually rendered this country bankrupt under the noses of its media. – Yours, etc,
ANTHONY LEAVY,
Shielmartin Drive,
Sutton,
Dublin 13.