The E.C.C. drops the hammer.

Apple goes on the offensive, and two tales of TV.

It's Wednesday the 31st of August 2016.

I'm Ken Ray and this is news from Maco S Ken brought to you by yours truly and

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After three years, the hammer has fallen. Whether it's left a dent remains to be seen.

No doubt you've heard what was blared from a number of outlets, including Business Insider.

The European Commission has ordered Ireland to collect 13 billion euros in back taxes from

Apple.

That's 14.5 billion dollars.

Quoted in a press release, EU competition commissioner Marguerite Vestia, who said,

Member States cannot give tax benefits to selected companies.

This is illegal under EU state aid rules.

The Commission's investigation concluded that Ireland granted

illegal tax benefits to Apple, which enabled it to pay substantially less

tax than other businesses over many years. In fact, the selective treatment allowed Apple to pay an effective corporate tax rate of 1% on its European profits in 2003 down to 0.005% in 2014.

Apple had a short response.

The piece quotes an Apple rep as saying the European Commission has launched an effort to

rewrite Apple's history in Europe, ignore Ireland's tax laws, and upend the international

tax system in the process. The Commission's case is not about how much Apple pays and taxes,

it's about which government collects the money. It will have a

profound and harmful effect on investment and job creation in Europe. Apple

...