European commission failed to prove Apple had benefited from arrangement, according to ruling
The European commission has been dealt a major blow in its battle to stop EU member states granting sweetheart tax deals to multinational corporations after the bloc’s general court ruled that Apple does not need to pay €13bn (£11.7bn) in back taxes to the Irish government.
The Luxembourg-based court found the EU’s executive body had failed to prove that the iPhone maker benefited from an illegal arrangement with the Irish authorities, in a decision with wide repercussions for the bloc’s plans to stamp down on tax avoidance.