Tim Cook, Apple : “We wanted to still pay a tax, just” – ZDNet France

The CEO of Apple is on tour in France, with already a number of dates on his calendar. It has thus made a surprise visit to the Apple Store in Marseille. And on the 6th of February, it was in Paris that the head of the firm is made. The opportunity for him to answer the questions of le Figaro.

expert of the communication and patron of a publicly traded company, Tim Cook recites and does not stray from the official discourse. This is particularly the case in relation to taxation. Moreover, the leader does “really not sure why there is so much interest on this issue.”

Earn money ? No, make the world a better place

As of the States, many of whom have been forced to austerity policies after the financial crisis, are concerned about their tax revenue, is it so abstruse ? Probably not. But if Cook does not understand, it is because, according to him, the company has to its ethics.

“as a company, we do not believe that our role is simply to earn money. We want to leave the world in a better state than that in which we found it. As well, our company is based 100 % on renewable energy in Europe. We defend also the rights of man, education,” he says to the Figaro.

The CEO of Apple claims, and the payment of a “tax fair”. Of which the constructor would define him-even the amount ? The boss acknowledges : “It is obviously something difficult to define, but we pay more taxes than any company in the world. We do not do tax evasion.”

The european Commission is not accusing Apple of tax evasion. But she accuses him clearly not to be paid “fair” tax. Europe has initiated a procedure against Ireland, requiring the member State that it retrieves from Apple € 13 billion of unlawful aid.

“The tax treatment that is granted by the Ireland has allowed Apple to avoid tax on almost the entire profit generated by the sales of Apple products across the single market of the EU,” observed the Commission in August last year.

“Cannot live without” iPhone

But Tim Cook is not in France this week to talk politics. Talk about the iPhone and its prospects for him are the themes most profitable. And for him, no doubt, “it has become impossible to live without” iPhone.

The patron account, in addition, to artificial intelligence to make the terminal even more indispensable to its clients. Augmented reality is another technology which set Apple to support innovation and the development of smartphones.

All these developments should allow the firm of Cupertino to preserve its profits, in large part accumulated in tax havens where they escape taxation. What is the future for these more than 200 billion dollars ?

“(…) we do the majority of our research and development in the United States and pay our taxes. On the other hand, if we decided to repatriate our reserves of cash in the United States, we would be taxed at a rate of 40 %. We hope that, at a given time, reform will do so at a rate more reduced,” explained Tim Cook.