Apple has reached an agreement with the European Union to initiate the payment of the 13 billion euros in back taxes owed to Ireland, as established in August 2016 by the European Commission. The case caused much discussion because it sanctioned for the first time the payment of such a large sum to compensate for the favorable tax treatment received by Apple in Ireland, according to the European Union. The Irish government in the last year has always refused to receive the payment, fearing to compromise its favorable tax policy to attract large multinationals, which in Ireland have a very low tax regime. Payments will be initiated from early 2018, but the appeal filed by Apple and Ireland against the Commission's decision remains active.
