After
a
two
-
year
____________________
,
the
European
Union
(
EU
)
says
the
American
company
Apple
must
pay
over
$14
billion
in
back
taxes
to
Ireland
.
The
EU
?
s
competition
____________________
said
the
company
did
not
pay
enough
in
taxes
between
2003
and
____________________
.
She
questioned
how
anyone
might
think
that
Apple
?
s
2014
Irish
tax
rate
of
five
thousandths
of
one
percent
was
fair
.
The
European
Commission
is
responsible
for
making
official
decisions
for
the
European
Union
.
The
Commission
follows
rules
designed
to
make
sure
businesses
in
Europe
compete
fairly
.
In
late
August
,
the
Commission
announced
that
it
would
attempt
to
recover
the
____________________
____________________
from
Apple
.
It
said
the
company
reported
earnings
for
all
of
the
computers
,
computer
tablets
and
mobile
phones
it
sold
in
Europe
through
its
office
in
Ireland
.
Because
of
a
tax
deal
with
the
Irish
government
,
Apple
never
had
to
pay
much
tax
on
its
earnings
.
The
____________________
____________________
is
not
only
investigating
Apple
.
It
is
looking
at
deals
between
European
countries
and
major
international
businesses
including
Starbucks
,
____________________
,
Amazon
and
McDonald
?
s
.
Apple
Chief
Executive
Officer
Tim
Cook
denies
the
EU
allegations
.
He
said
Apple
paid
____________________
____________________
in
taxes
in
2014
,
and
his
company
paid
more
in
taxes
than
any
other
business
in
Ireland
.
The
tax
bill
is
not
only
causing
concerns
in
Ireland
and
Europe
.
Government
officials
in
the
United
States
are
also
worried
.
Josh
Earnest
is
the
____________________
for
President
Barack
Obama
.
He
said
Americans
could
be
hurt
by
the
EU
?
s
ruling
if
Apple
is
required
to
make
the
payment
.
He
said
the
company
then
could
legally
reduce
the
billions
of
dollars
it
pays
Ireland
from
the
U
.
S
.
taxes
it
owes
.
Earnest
said
the
____________________
____________________
is
concerned
EU
officials
decided
to
rule
against
Apple
without
first
talking
to
the
U
.
S
.
government
.
The
U
.
S
Treasury
Department
called
the
EU
?
s
decision
unfair
.
It
claimed
the
EU
was
targeting
American
companies
for
punishment
recently
.
The
commission
denied
that
____________________
.
On
September
1
,
Tim
Cook
told
an
Irish
newspaper
that
Apple
would
work
with
Irish
officials
to
overturn
Europe
?
s
decision
.
He
also
said
the
tax
ruling
was
politically
motivated
.
The
European
Commission
said
Ireland
offered
Apple
the
low
tax
rates
in
order
to
save
thousands
of
Apple
jobs
within
the
country
.
It
called
the
deal
,
?
illegal
.
?
Ireland
?
s
Minister
of
____________________
,
Michael
Noonan
,
said
his
country
will
appeal
the
commission
?
s
ruling
.
But
if
the
tax
is
paid
,
it
would
be
the
____________________
ever
in
Europe
.
I
?
m
Dan
Friedell
.
