Skip to main content

Majority of Irish voters back Apple and Irish government in opposing EU tax ruling – poll

A poll for the Irish Times found that the majority of Irish voters believe that the government is right to join Apple in appealing against the EU ruling that the Cupertino company must pay €13B ($14.5B) in back taxes.

When asked whether the Government was right to appeal the ruling that Apple should pay €13 billion in back tax, 47 per cent said yes, 39 per cent said no and 14 per cent had no opinion.

The decision to appeal the ruling caused a storm of controversy both at home and abroad, but the poll shows a majority of people back the Government’s stance.

Apple quickly and aggressively denounced the claim, announcing that it would be appealing against the ruling in court, but the Irish government took a little longer to reach its decision to launch its own appeal.

The Irish government was caught in a dilemma. While the majority of those in the USA sided with Apple, many in Europe took a different view, seeing the case as another example of a large corporation using its size and global reach to aggressively avoid paying its fair share of tax. The Irish government had to be mindful of that view while at the same time not doing anything to upset a company bringing a lot of jobs and wealth to the country,

The poll shows that, while views are still very much split, the government correctly judged the mood of the majority in the country.

FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.

You’re reading 9to5Mac — experts who break news about Apple and its surrounding ecosystem, day after day. Be sure to check out our homepage for all the latest news, and follow 9to5Mac on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn to stay in the loop. Don’t know where to start? Check out our exclusive stories, reviews, how-tos, and subscribe to our YouTube channel

Comments

Author

Avatar for Ben Lovejoy Ben Lovejoy

Ben Lovejoy is a British technology writer and EU Editor for 9to5Mac. He’s known for his op-eds and diary pieces, exploring his experience of Apple products over time, for a more rounded review. He also writes fiction, with two technothriller novels, a couple of SF shorts and a rom-com!


Ben Lovejoy's favorite gear