US technology company Apple paid $17.1 billion in taxes in Ireland in the fiscal year ending September 2025, accounting for about 40% of its total worldwide tax bill of $43.2 billion. The data has been made public for the first time by country, as part of new European rules on tax transparency for large companies.
The extraordinary amount paid in Ireland is largely due to a ruling by the Court of Justice of the European Union. In 2024, the court upheld the obligation for Apple to pay around 13 billion euros in back taxes to Ireland, after a legal battle that lasted around eight years.
The case concerned tax benefits that Ireland had granted to Apple through tax treaties. The court concluded that these treaties had given the company a selective advantage over other companies.
Last year's payment makes Ireland a special case in the new Apple tax data, highlighting the weight that big American tech companies have in the Irish tax system.
