Apple cleared of all wrongdoing after four-month US tax probe
APPLE has been cleared of any wrongdoing after the iPhone maker came under scrutiny by the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) for corporate tax avoidance.
The computing giant was examined by a senate committee, which accused Apple of using a tax avoidance strategy to pay little or no corporate tax on its $74bn profits over the last four years.
Apple chief executive Tim Cook went to Washington in May and told the committee that the company was acting in line with good corporate values.
“We pay all the tax we owe. Every single dollar,” he said.
On Friday the SEC quietly published its response after a four-month probe into Apple’s overseas cash and taxation.
The SEC’s response determined that no action was needed against Apple, which had worked with the SEC to provide it with the details of its foreign cash and tax policies.
Apple has stated throughout the investigation that the company “does not use tax gimmicks” and the SEC’s findings support the technology giant’s view that it has followed generally accepted accounting practices in its business.
While Apple has been cleared by the SEC it could yet be drawn back into the ongoing investigation if the SEC take a broader swipe at the technology industry’s tax arrangements.