Apple Inc Failed to Pay UK Taxes, France Offices Raided
Apple Inc has been accused of tax avoidance in the U.S. and other countries and this time, alleged reports have surfaced regarding the company's non-payment of UK taxes during the 2012 fiscal year. According to reports, Apple even had tax credit which can be used in the coming years.
Apple apparently used tax deductions generated from employee shares to avoid paying taxes in UK in 2012. In 2011, the tech giant's subsidiary companies in the UK paid taxes worth 11.4 million pounds.
Apple's before tax profits in the UK posted 68 million pounds for the fiscal year 2012, based on data gathered from filings. Apple subsidiaries reported 27.7 million worth of tax deductions as part of Apple's reward schemes for its employees.
Using tax deductions, Apple Inc gained an additional tax credit worth 3.8 million pounds which the company can use to settle future tax liabilities. Apple Inc does not reveal its exact consumer profits in the UK since sales are less than 10 per cent of Apple's worldwide sales. U.S. tax filings show Apple Inc reported $15 billion in operating profit and $36.3 billion in net sales during the previous fiscal year.
Raid in France
Aside from being in the spotlight for tax avoidance, Apple is still under investigation for violating anti-trust policies. According to local reports, French investigators raided Apple Inc's offices in France in connection with the antitrust investigation.
Apple Inc has been accused of prioritising its own retail stores over independent sellers. The company has been allegedly favouring its own stores because Apple has better prices for its iPhone, iPad and iPod devices.
The raid was reported to have lasted for 24 hours. A number of documents were confiscated from Apple offices. Officials refused to comment on the status of the antitrust investigation but only said that it was ongoing.