If the government approached Apple, to offer them a special (specific to Apple) tax deal in exchange for X ... why is Apple now being held accountable for Ireland doings.
Tax Abatements are a long, well understood practice that's been leveraged by city/state/federal governments for decades to incentivize desired outcomes.
Look at Electric Vehicles (EV's)
Both California and Federal government were giving tax incentives for individuals who purchase an EV.
This tax abatement was used to incentivize the adoption of EV's.
Apple and Ireland maintain that is no record of "a deal", yet Apple paid 1% of what the law says they owed. The only beneficiary of that favourable situation is Apple.
Let's be honest, if this happened in any "less reputable" jurisdiction, Apple would definitely be under FCPA scrutiny.
> Tax Abatements are a long, well understood practice
Yeah, the kind of "tax abatement" that is available only to a select few.
If the government approached Apple, to offer them a special (specific to Apple) tax deal in exchange for X ... why is Apple now being held accountable for Ireland doings.