Latest news with #AppleTax
The Journal
18 hours ago
- Business
- The Journal
What's the latest on the Apple Tax? All (or most) will be revealed next week
EARLIER THIS WEEK, the Department of Finance published financial statements for the escrow account that was being used to hold the Apple Tax money. The account was closed in May of this year, with a total sum of almost €14.25b transferred to the exchequer. Apple had originally transferred €14.3b to the account in 2018 ahead of its appeal against the European Commission decision, which found that the company owed Ireland €13.1b plus interest of €1.2b. So what happens now? You may be thinking, 'We haven't heard about this money in a while, what's the government's plan for it?' A lot will be revealed next week when the Department of Public Expenditure publishes its review of the National Development Plan for 2026-2035. This plan sets out the government's scheme to build infrastructure over the coming years, including things like rail, roads, electricity connections and sewage schemes. Next week, the publication of the review will set out how some of the €14b in Apple Tax will be spent. It will also set out spending plans for the proceeds from the sale of AIB shares, and money from other State funds, including the Infrastructure, Climate and Nature Fund. Advertisement The government has previously said that Apple money will be used to invest in our stock of critical infrastructure — housing, energy, water and transport – instead of paying for day-to-day spending. But other than that, we haven't been told much more about what exactly the money will be used for. Ahead of last year's general election, all parties outlined their ideas for how the money should be spent , with Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael differing slightly in how they would split it. Fianna Fáil pledged to focus on five key infrastructure areas – housing, the electricity grid, water infrastructure, transport and health digitalisation, while Fine Gael promised to allocate €10b for housing and €4b on energy, water and transport. Given that it's Fianna Fáil leader Micheál Martin who holds the Taoiseach's office at the moment, we can expect to see the actual spending skew towards his party's priorities. Specifically, Fianna Fáil wanted to see €4b of the money allocated to the Land Development Agency (LDA) to build housing. Fine Gael wanted to use the money they had ringfenced for housing to extend the first-time buyer supports, including increasing the Help to Buy grant from €30,000 to €40,000 — something we already know has not made its way into the Programme for Government. A Fine Gael source pushed back on the notion that it will be Fianna Fáil in the driving seat, insisting that final decisions on spending have not yet been agreed. It's understood that government leaders are set to meet with Finance Minister Paschal Donohoe and Public Expenditure Minister Jack Chambers over the weekend to flesh out the final plan on how the NDP cookie will crumble. So for now, we wait. Readers like you are keeping these stories free for everyone... A mix of advertising and supporting contributions helps keep paywalls away from valuable information like this article. Over 5,000 readers like you have already stepped up and support us with a monthly payment or a once-off donation. Learn More Support The Journal
Yahoo
08-07-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
The best early Prime Day Apple deals include the iPad mini at a record-low price
Remember the old joke about the "Apple tax"? That you had to pay a premium for Apple's admittedly premium gear? Not so much anymore, and definitely not during Amazon Prime Day: Lots of the company's top products are on sale, a few of them at or near their lowest prices ever. We're talking AirTags, AirPods, iPads and more. During this brief, shining window, it's all premium, no tax. (Er, except sales tax. Not much we can do about that.)Normally, Apple discounts are small, short-lived or limited to older models — sometimes all three. But Prime Day shakes things up. Retailers like Amazon know shoppers are watching closely, and that means steeper price cuts, more products on sale and really great deals on current-gen gear. Of special note: We're seeing prices on most current AirPods models drop to new all-time lows, so it's a better time than ever to pick up AirPods Pro, AirPods 4 or AirPods Max headphones. Of course, that means this gear might sell out. So if you see a deal you like, don't wait. Otherwise you might be waiting till Black Friday to see it again. If you have Amazon Prime, you'll get free shipping, of course. Not yet a member? No problem. You can sign up for your free 30-day trial here. (And by the way, those without Prime still get free shipping on orders of $35 or more.) The reviews quoted above reflect the most recent versions at the time of publication.
GSM Arena
06-06-2025
- Business
- GSM Arena
Apple loses in court, has to stop charging developers for payments outside of the App Store
Apple's request for a stay on a US court's ruling has been denied, so it has to immediately stop charging developers for payments made outside of the App Store. The company filed an emergency motion last month seeking a stay on a ruling in April, which found Apple in "willful violation" of a 2021 injunction that barred it from forcing anticompetitive pricing. It's also filed an appeal against that ruling, which is yet to be finalized, so things could still change in the future. Apple's stay is denied by the 9th Circuit Court. The long national nightmare of the Apple tax is ended. May next week's WWDC be the Apple-led celebration of freedom that developers and users have long deserved. — Tim Sweeney (@TimSweeneyEpic) June 4, 2025 But for now, Apple needs to stop taking a 27% fee on apps getting paid through non-Apple payment mechanisms, which amazingly it has been doing since it started allowing apps to link out and not handle payments exclusively through Apple. The company also has to eliminate the 'scare screens' it shows users before letting them use third-party payment providers for iOS apps. Spotify and Amazon are already making changes to their apps to reflect the new situation, so now you can pay for your purchases and subscriptions outside of the App Store without any 'Apple Tax'.
TechCrunch
06-06-2025
- Business
- TechCrunch
Court denies Apple's request to pause ruling on App Store payment fees
A U.S. court denied Apple a stay on a ruling that requires the company to stop charging developers for payments made outside the App Store through links in apps. This means in the U.S., Apple will no longer be able to charge developers a fee when customers click on a link within their app that takes them outside the App Store for payment, resulting in a potential loss of revenue to the company. 'Apple 'bears the burden of showing that the circumstances justify an exercise of [our] discretion,'' the court said in a filing. 'After reviewing the relevant factors, we are not persuaded that a stay is appropriate,' it added. Epic Games' head Tim Sweeney applauded the court's ruling and said, 'The long national nightmare of Apple tax is ended,' in a post on X. Apple's stay is denied by the 9th Circuit Court. The long national nightmare of the Apple tax is ended. May next week's WWDC be the Apple-led celebration of freedom that developers and users have long deserved. — Tim Sweeney (@TimSweeneyEpic) June 4, 2025 In April, Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers ruled in favor of Epic Games, saying that Apple was in 'willful violation' of a 2021 injunction that barred the company from forcing anticompetitive pricing. This essentially means that Apple must change the App Store rules and allow developers to freely link to their website for purchasing digital goods. In response, Apple filed an emergency motion last month seeking a stay on the court's ruling. The company also filed an appeal against the ruling around the same time. Last year, Apple began allowing other apps to link out and use non-Apple payment mechanisms, but it still took a 27% fee and added what critics called 'scare screens.' With the new ruling, both practices will be eliminated. Large companies are already making changes to their apps, with Spotify and Amazon publishing new updates that let users pay for their subscriptions and purchases outside the App Store. Techcrunch event Save $200+ on your TechCrunch All Stage pass Build smarter. Scale faster. Connect deeper. Join visionaries from Precursor Ventures, NEA, Index Ventures, Underscore VC, and beyond for a day packed with strategies, workshops, and meaningful connections. Save $200+ on your TechCrunch All Stage pass Build smarter. Scale faster. Connect deeper. Join visionaries from Precursor Ventures, NEA, Index Ventures, Underscore VC, and beyond for a day packed with strategies, workshops, and meaningful connections. Boston, MA | REGISTER NOW With the Worldwide Developer Conference (WWDC) slotted for next week, this is a big blow to Apple. Earlier this week, the company published a report saying that it generated $1.3 trillion in billings and sales in 2024. It added 90% of those sales didn't generate commission revenue for Apple.
Phone Arena
10-05-2025
- Business
- Phone Arena
An "epic" comeback is in the making as Fortnite is returning to the App Store
By including this option with Fortnite, Epic was allowing game players to make in-app purchases at lower prices through Epic. That's because the game developer was able to bypass the 15%-30% "Apple Tax" that the tech giant was collecting from developers for such purchases. Recently, a judge ruled that Apple must stop collecting fees for in-app purchases and subscriptions made outside the App Store. Epic's celebration following this ruling included the announcement of Fortnite's App Store return. Epic also announced that it will not collect a commission from developers on the first $1,000,000 in revenue an app generates each year. Tim Sweeney, Epic's CEO, said that Fortnite will be returned to the App Store worldwide if Apple allows the judge's ruling to take effect around the world. Apple, as you might suspect, has not only filed an appeal but also filed an emergency motion asking the federal appeals court to temporarily hold off on making any changes to the App Store's operations and how it collects payments. Epic responds to Apple's request to pause any changes changing how the App Store collects payments. | Image credit-X Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers issued a contempt order against Apple for failing to follow the order she made during 2021's Epic v. Apple case. That order demanded that Apple stop its anti-competitive actions and pricing and allow App Store users to pay using payment options outside the App Store. Last week, the judge said that Apple is purposely flouting her demands. On Wednesday, Apple told the judge that blocking Apple from charging commission on purchases made outside the App Store "will cost Apple substantial sums annually." Additionally, the tech giant said that restrictions against it are based on conduct that has not been found to be unlawful. The company also said, "A federal court cannot force Apple to permanently give away free access to its products and services, including intellectual property." Epic, on the other hand, said that since Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers issued her contempt ruling, "Apple has faced a surge of genuine competition as developers have updated their apps with better payment methods, better deals, and better consumer choice." Earlier this month, Apple announced that it will allow developers to add links to apps that take consumers outside the App Store to make payments allowing them to skip Apple's payment system thus avoiding the Apple Tax. This is exactly what Judge Gonzalez Rogers wanted with her initial ruling in September 2021. Apple subsequently allowed developers to include a link that would send users out of the App Store to make payments but it still charged developers a 27% commission on those payments. Apple also warned users leaving the App Store that once these users were sent to the web, Apple was no longer responsible for the user's privacy or security. This was considered a tactic by Apple to scare users away from using payment options outside of the App Store.
