Blog Feeds

The Saker
A bird's eye view of the vineyard

offsite link Alternative Copy of thesaker.is site is available Thu May 25, 2023 14:38 | Ice-Saker-V6bKu3nz
Alternative site: https://thesaker.si/saker-a... Site was created using the downloads provided Regards Herb

offsite link The Saker blog is now frozen Tue Feb 28, 2023 23:55 | The Saker
Dear friends As I have previously announced, we are now “freezing” the blog.? We are also making archives of the blog available for free download in various formats (see below).?

offsite link What do you make of the Russia and China Partnership? Tue Feb 28, 2023 16:26 | The Saker
by Mr. Allen for the Saker blog Over the last few years, we hear leaders from both Russia and China pronouncing that they have formed a relationship where there are

offsite link Moveable Feast Cafe 2023/02/27 ? Open Thread Mon Feb 27, 2023 19:00 | cafe-uploader
2023/02/27 19:00:02Welcome to the ‘Moveable Feast Cafe’. The ‘Moveable Feast’ is an open thread where readers can post wide ranging observations, articles, rants, off topic and have animate discussions of

offsite link The stage is set for Hybrid World War III Mon Feb 27, 2023 15:50 | The Saker
Pepe Escobar for the Saker blog A powerful feeling rhythms your skin and drums up your soul as you?re immersed in a long walk under persistent snow flurries, pinpointed by

The Saker >>

Public Inquiry
Interested in maladministration. Estd. 2005

offsite link RTEs Sarah McInerney ? Fianna Fail?supporter? Anthony

offsite link Joe Duffy is dishonest and untrustworthy Anthony

offsite link Robert Watt complaint: Time for decision by SIPO Anthony

offsite link RTE in breach of its own editorial principles Anthony

offsite link Waiting for SIPO Anthony

Public Inquiry >>

Human Rights in Ireland
Promoting Human Rights in Ireland

Human Rights in Ireland >>

Lockdown Skeptics

The Daily Sceptic

offsite link Gas Boiler Ban to Be Fast-Tracked as New Homes Required to Have Heat Pumps and Solar Panels Fri May 02, 2025 17:00 | Will Jones
Gas boilers in new homes will be banned as soon as next year and they will be required to have heat pumps and solar panels under plans being spearheaded by Ed Miliband and Angela Rayner.
The post Gas Boiler Ban to Be Fast-Tracked as New Homes Required to Have Heat Pumps and Solar Panels appeared first on The Daily Sceptic.

offsite link AfD Classified as Extreme-Right by German Intelligence, Paving Way for Ban Fri May 02, 2025 15:00 | Will Jones
The AfD has been designated as Right-wing extremist by Germany's Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution, enabling surveillance of the party to be ramped up and paving the way for it to be banned.
The post AfD Classified as Extreme-Right by German Intelligence, Paving Way for Ban appeared first on The Daily Sceptic.

offsite link Making Sense of Trump?s Tariffs Fri May 02, 2025 13:00 | Ramesh Thakur
There's method in Trump's tariff madness, says Ramesh Thakur. Uniting his America First, anti-Net Zero and anti-DEI policies is an imperative to untangle the US from strategic dependence on an ascendant China.
The post Making Sense of Trump’s Tariffs appeared first on The Daily Sceptic.

offsite link The Capture of the IMF and World Bank by Eco-Zealots is Hurting Poorer Countries Most Fri May 02, 2025 11:00 | Tilak Doshi
The IMF and World Bank have been captured by eco-zealots and lost sight of their original purpose, says Tilak Doshi. Developing countries, desperate for energy and growth, are the biggest losers.
The post The Capture of the IMF and World Bank by Eco-Zealots is Hurting Poorer Countries Most appeared first on The Daily Sceptic.

offsite link Reform Wins Runcorn By-Election by Six Votes, Overturning Labour Majority of 14,700 and Triggering P... Fri May 02, 2025 09:00 | Will Jones
Reform has won the Runcorn and Helsby by-election from Labour by just six votes, overturning a majority of 14,700 and triggering a political earthquake that threatens to shatter the hegemony of Labour and the Tories.
The post Reform Wins Runcorn By-Election by Six Votes, Overturning Labour Majority of 14,700 and Triggering Political Earthquake appeared first on The Daily Sceptic.

Lockdown Skeptics >>

If Apple Paid Its Back Taxes, There Would Be No Need For Water Charges Or Property Taxes

category national | bin tax / household tax / water tax | press release author Wednesday September 23, 2015 23:31author by pbp Report this post to the editors

The European Commission has been investigating how Apple got away with paying a tax rate of just 2 percent on massive profits. It has concluded that the company benefited from an illegal deal with the Irish government. This judgement will be announced shortly.

Apple operated two subsidiaries in Ireland – Apple Operations International and Apple Sales International – and it funnelled billions of its global profits through these companies to avoid paying a €34 billion tax bill in the US. It was able to do this this because of a secret deal with the Irish government which cut its tax bill below the official 12.5% rate. The Irish government even allowed it to claim that it was ‘non-resident for tax purposes’.

Earlier this year, Apple warned its investors that it was likely to be hit by a big fine when the EU judgement came though.
It stated that “If the European Commission were to conclude against Ireland, it could require Ireland to recover from the company past taxes covering a period of up to 10 years reflective of the disallowed state aid, and such amount could be material.”

The Financial Times calculated that this could amount to about €2.5 billion.

Which begs the question: what should a cash strapped government that has been squeezing its own population dry do when such a windfall was possible? Grab it with both hands, you might think, and ease up on austerity.

Sure, it might have to admit that the Irish state was complicit in the scam and face a little ‘name and shame treatment’.
But what is a little humiliation compared to getting enough money to abolish the water taxes for decades or a combination of water charges and property taxes for a few years.

Yet, unbelievably, the Irish government is lobbying the EU Commission to stop Apple paying this fine. It wants to give them a little rap on the knuckles but not be forced to pay back taxes.

The Irish elite want to turn their country into a tax haven for the rich. They lash out at their own population to create enough fiscal space to allow large corporations get off lightly.

So when faced with the prospect of back taxes from Apple, they do everything to avoid taking the money. If ever there was a reason to overthrow this sick political establishment the scandal over Apple’s back taxes shows it.

Related Link: http://www.peoplebeforeprofit.ie/2015/09/if-apple-paid-its-back-taxes-there-would-be-no-need-for-water-charges-or-property-taxes/
© 2001-2025 Independent Media Centre Ireland. Unless otherwise stated by the author, all content is free for non-commercial reuse, reprint, and rebroadcast, on the net and elsewhere. Opinions are those of the contributors and are not necessarily endorsed by Independent Media Centre Ireland. Disclaimer | Privacy