{
  "id": 2979822,
  "title": "Apple paid $17bn to Ireland last year due to back taxes",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/24/apple-paid-17bn-to-ireland-last-year-due-to-back-taxes",
  "topic": "business",
  "section": "Business",
  "published": "2026-08-24T08:31:04.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Silicon Republic",
    "slug": "silicon-republic",
    "url": "https://www.siliconrepublic.com/business/apple-paid-e17bn-to-ireland-last-year-due-to-back-taxes"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "In the fiscal year ending September 2025, Apple paid $17.1bn in back taxes to Ireland, accounting for roughly 40% of its total global tax expenditure of $43.2bn during that period. This payment was a result of a decade-long legal battle with the European Commission, which ruled in September 2024 that Apple received unlawful tax advantages from Ireland. After a 10-year legal process, the European Court of Justice decided in favor of the European Commission, imposing a €13bn debt on Apple. Apple's 2025 revenue in Ireland was €213.5bn, with 5,575 employees stationed there. Meanwhile, Germany had the second-highest number of Apple employees with 4,089 workers and generated €2.7bn in revenue. Apple's low corporate tax rate of 12.5% in Ireland attracted many multinational corporations. Recently, Apple announced it would lower App Store fees for EU developers to adhere to the EU's fair market competition regulations. Apple is also facing a German competition authority ruling, which mandates changes to its consent prompts for tracking and personalized advertising on iPhone and iPad devices, impacting most other EU countries.",
  "summary": "Apple’s payment to Ireland last year represented around 40pc of its total global tax expenditure – $43.2bn – during the fiscal year that ended in September 2025. Read more: Apple paid $17bn to Ireland last year due to back taxes",
  "key_points": [
    "Apple paid $17.1bn in back taxes to Ireland in 2025.",
    "Decision by European Court of Justice in September 2024.",
    "Ireland's low corporate tax rate attracted Apple's business."
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}