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Comment by saynsedit | Hacker News Reader

I feel like I can't buy this unless Apple pays its EU-enforced Irish tax bill. We give them money but the vast majority of it never goes back into the economy.

[Edited for technical correctness]

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It's an Irish tax bill decided by the EU. Think about that. Starting to think Brexit wasn't such a bad idea after all.

Also, spending money puts it back in the economy, and Apple spends plenty. Taxes are probably the worst way for money to cycle through from an efficiency standpoint.

All that said, they should obviously pay what they legitimately owe.

It's an Irish tax bill decided by Ireland, but not enforced for Apple and probably some other big companies. That's what the EU complaint is about: Unfair state subsidies to Apple, the most anti-capitalist thing ever - people's taxes are used to subsidise Apple. Let that sink in.

If you are still trying to justify Brexit's shitshow you're doing it wrong.

Taxes may be the worst way to recycle money but in the absence of anything else it's a really good way. Apple's revenue far outweigh its costs. They have one of the largest cash reserves of any corporation in the world.

http://money.cnn.com/2015/07/22/investing/apple-stock-cash-e... http://www.forbes.com/sites/timworstall/2014/04/13/fun-numbe...

It is a tax bill from Ireland. The EU isn't a state, it doesn't collect taxes.

You're not "giving them money", you're exchanging your money for their product. If you are so keen on giving money to your government, there are plenty of ways to do it.

I already pay my fair share, they should too.

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