Apple Court Triumph Forces Tough Choice for EU’s Tax Crusade
- Vestager faces looming deadline to challenge Apple tax ruling
- EU didn’t appeal earlier losses, but decided to re-investigate
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Apple Inc.’s July court triumph over a massive European Union back-tax order is forcing antitrust chief Margrethe Vestager to make a tough choice: Challenge a ruling that faulted the EU investigation or accept judges’ criticisms and re-examine a case started more than six years ago.
Her dilemma about whether to appeal before a late-September deadline shows how court rebukes have bogged down probes that were once swift and lethal. The EU targeted big names, triggering changes to taxation across Europe. The 13 billion-euro ($15.4 billion) demand for Apple was its crowning achievement.