This is the billion dollar brand that Apple is about to break 1:53
London (CNN Business) - Apple won its appeal against a European Commission decision that it owed Ireland 13 billion euros ($ 14.9 billion) in taxes.
The second highest court of the European Union ruled on Wednesday that the Commission had not proven that the company had received illegal state aid from Ireland through favorable tax arrangements.
The European Commission, Europe's top antitrust authority, said, in 2016, that the Irish government had accorded Apple an illegal advantage by helping the iPhone maker keep its tax bill artificially low for more than 20 years.
- Apple must pay $ 14.6 billion in taxes to Ireland
But Ireland did not want the money. The small country became the European base for companies like Apple, Google and Facebook because it has one of the lowest corporate tax rates in Europe. So she joined Apple to fight the Commission.
In a statement, an Apple spokesperson told CNN Business that the company was "satisfied" with the decision, arguing that the case was never about how much the tax pays, but where it pays it.
“We are proud to be the largest taxpayer in the world, as we know the important role that tax payments play in society. Apple has paid more than $ 100 billion in corporate earnings taxes worldwide in the past decade and tens of billions more in other taxes, "the spokesperson added.
Apple Chief Executive Tim Cook had previously said the ruling was "not based on fact or law," calling "Apple an obvious target."
- Apple: owners of old iPhones may file claims as part of a deal about slowing phones
The Irish government also welcomed the decision, saying it had never given Apple special treatment.
"The correct amount of Irish tax was taxed in accordance with normal Irish tax rules," the Finance Ministry said in a statement.
The court ruling is a severe blow to the Commission, which has tried to crack down on what it considers to be unfair tax deals in Europe. The Commission could appeal the decision to the highest court in Europe.
Margrethe Vestager, the Commission's chief antitrust official, said she was carefully studying the sentence before deciding on next steps. But she promised that the European Commission will continue to aggressively pursue what it considers "illegal state aid".
At the same time, the application of state aid must go hand in hand with a change in corporate philosophies and correct legislation to address gaps and ensure transparency. We have already come a long way at national, European and global levels, and we need to continue working together to be successful, ”Vestager said in a statement.
- James Frater contributed to this article.
Manzana