BELGIUM-EU-APPLE-IRELAND-TAX-TECH

EU Competition Commissioner Margrethe Vestager talks as she gives a press conference to order Apple to pay 13 billion euros in back taxes, in Brussels on August 30, 2016. The European Union on August 30, 2016, ordered Apple to pay a record 13 billion euros in back taxes in Ireland, saying deals allowing the US tech giant to pay almost no tax were illegal. Apple and the Irish government immediately said they would appeal against the European Commission ruling, while the US Treasury said it could undermine its economic partnership with the EU. Ireland has been seeking to attract multinationals by offering extremely favourable tax conditions, known as sweetheart deals, but EU Competition Commissioner Margrethe Vestager said Apple's broke EU laws on state aid. (Photo by John THYS / AFP) (Photo by JOHN THYS/AFP via Getty Images)