The tax bullying of Ireland has to stop, by Barbara Kohm.

A country that was the poorest European nation just four decades ago is today one of the richest. Ireland transformed itself into one of the most desirable business locations in the world with the help of the hard work of its citizens, a cooperative environment that focused on creating value with businesses, and the intelligent use of tax competition.

Nonetheless, the European Commission recently announced that Ireland’s competitive tax structure is illegal. According to the Commission, Apple had benefited from unfair tax treatment in Ireland from 2003 until 2014. These so-called tax benefits have been calculated at €13 billion, and the Commission says that this money should now be recovered by the Irish revenue services.

The ruling is extremely dangerous. Such overreach by the EU’s antitrust regulator puts Ireland’s national sovereignty—and, indeed, the sovereignty of all EU nations—under threat. …

Neither Apple nor Ireland believe that any tax is due. Yet the unelected EU still intends to force through a tax payment. …

Rule of law is gradually being abandoned by the global elite:

The Apple decision has dramatically raised the level of tax uncertainty for all those companies operating in the European Union, and will inevitably have a significant, negative impact on investment. Jobs and productivity will be the victims. This problem is exacerbated because the Commission has made their decision retroactive: who knows who will be hit next, and for how much.

hat-tip Matthew