Apple case has cost State €7m to date
The State has, to date, paid €7.1m — including Vat — in fees to lawyers and experts in relation to the European Commission’s €13bn ruling on state aid to tech giant, Apple.
According to the latest figures provided by the Department of Finance, legal firm William Fry has received €3.1m in fees over the past five years concerning its work on the case.
In addition, external counsel have been paid €2.56m for their work.
“These figures include costs incurred in relation to the EU Commission’s investigation, as well as the appeal of the commission’s final decision, and the costs associated with the State’s legal obligation to recovery the alleged aid,” a Department of Finance spokesperson said.
They said that €3.7m of the €7.1m relates to the recovery process of the monies. The fees “have been paid by the Department of Finance, Revenue Commissioners, NTMA, the Central Bank, the Attorney General’s office and the Chief State Solicitor’s office,” the department said. McCann Fitzgerald was paid €528,470, with €595,400 paid to PWC.
The commission ruled in 2016 the State had granted state aid worth €13bn to Apple. Both Apple and the State have appealed. Last September, Paschal Donohoe, the finance minister, confirmed that Apple put in full, the €13.1bn of disputed taxes into an escrow account set up by the Government.
