Ireland pushes Apple appeal decision back to Friday
Ireland's government is yet to reach a consensus on whether to appeal yesterday's European Commission ruling on Apple's tax bill, it was revealed this evening.
The cabinet will now meet on Friday to discuss the issue further.
The European Competition Commission has presented the technology giant with a tax bill for €13bn (£11.1bn), and dragged the Irish government into the issue by equating the so-called sweetheart deal to state aid.
The EU has ordered the country to go back and collect unpaid taxes for the period from 2003 to 2014.
"Member states cannot give tax benefits to selected companies – this is illegal under EU state aid rules," said chief of the antitrust watchdog, Margrethe Vestager, as she handed down the decision.
Ireland's finance minister Michael Noonan, who petitioned the cabinet to pursue an appeal, has already hit back at the decision, saying he "disagrees profoundly" with the verdict reached.