Why Do They Make It So Difficult? September 25, 2020

If you like Apple, the headline: EU court sides with Apple.

Or even better: Apple, 1 -- EU, 0.

If you dislike Apple, the headline: Apple will be fighting the EU for the next decade over $15 billion. 

This headline provided the absolute wrong take-away from the article:

Link here.

Wow, it's hard for writers to keep it simple. This is the story: EU court sides with Apple on tax issue. 

But heaven forbid if you are trying to get to the bottom line reading this story:

BRUSSELS— Apple Inc.’s  legal battle in Europe over a $15.2 billion tax bill will continue, potentially for years, after the European Union appealed a court ruling that sided with the tech giant. 

EU officials doubled down Friday on their ruling from 2016, which alleged that Ireland had granted illegal tax breaks to Apple. This followed the company’s unexpected win in July at the bloc’s second-highest court, where judges said the European Commission—the EU’s competition enforcement arm—didn’t bring enough evidence that Ireland had granted illegal tax breaks to Apple between 2003 and 2014. 

The commission’s competition chief, Margrethe Vestager, said the court had “made a number of errors,” prompting the appeal. “Making sure that all companies, big and small, pay their fair share of tax remains a top priority for the commission,” she said.

Here's the story:

• Ireland has a tax law.

• Apple abides by the Irish tax law.

• Not even sure who the EU sued: Ireland or Apple?

• Regardless, the court sided with Apple.

• Now the EU will appeal.