Ireland Tax Windfall: Apple Earns $6M Per Employee

Apple's tax payments to Ireland have come under scrutiny again after it was revealed that the tech giant paid $17 billion in taxes last year, accounting for 40% of its worldwide corporate income tax bill. The figure includes a settlement with the EU's top court ordering Apple to pay 13 billion euros in back taxes due to what the court deemed 'unlawful aid' granted by Ireland.

The company's Irish entities employed about 3% of its workforce, but generated a quarter of its global pre-tax profits. This translates to an astonishing $6 million of profit per employee in Ireland, compared to just $51,000 per employee in Germany where Apple paid 0.3% of its total taxes.

EU rules now require large companies to report revenue, profit, and tax by jurisdiction, allowing campaigners to press for higher contributions. Microsoft also booked a significant portion of its global pre-tax profit in Ireland last year, with $7 million per employee.