Tell the EU to ‘politely’ f*** off over Apple tax dispute, says outspoken Ryanair boss Michael O’Leary
Irish Government is being advised to write to the EU telling them where to go
RYANAIR boss Michael O'Leary has weighed into the tax dispute between Apple and the European Union, saying the Irish government should write a letter to the EU telling them to "f**k off".
Dubbing the EU's ruling "bizarre", the outspoken Irishman said: "One of the fundamental principles of the European Union is that each country has its autonomy to make its own tax decisions.
"Frankly the Irish government should turn around - they shouldn't even appeal the decision - they should just write a letter to Europe and tell them politely to f**k off.
"The idea that you have the state aid mob - who've had more court verdicts overturned than any other department in Europe in the last 20 years - come along 10 years after the fact and say, 'no we didn't like that, we think you should have done something else', is frankly bizarre."
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Yesterday, Europe's antitrust commissioner Margrethe Vestager slapped the maker of iPads and iPhones with a 13 billion euro (£11.1 billion) tax bill.
She claimed Apple paid just 1% tax on its European profits in 2003 and 0.005% in 2014, and said its arrangement with the Irish government is illegal under state aid rules.
Apple is set to challenge the decision, and Mr O'Leary added: "I think there's no chance of this surviving a court ruling in Europe.
“There's certain things that Europe has no competence in."
Yesterday Apple said the EU decision would damage its jobs creation and investment in Europe.
The tech giant made £179billion in worldwide sales last year with profits of £40billion.
It would recoup the fine in sales in just 23 days.
Ireland’s finance minister Michael Noonan said he disagreed “profoundly” with the EC’s decision.
Apple — led by chief executive Tim Cook — has had a base in Ireland since 1980 and employs 5,500 there.