DUBLIN: Apple sparked fury last night after revealing that it paid only £11.8million in British corporation tax last year – despite raking in profits estimated at almost £2billion.
Experts said the miserly bill was almost £400million short of the figure the US giant should be paying the British tax authorities.
Insatiable appetite for its iPhones and iPads have made Apple the most valuable company in the world, with an estimated value of more than £500billion. It has just enjoyed its most successful year to date.
But it funnels its vast sales though Ireland to whittle down its tax bills in the UK and other countries.
In his March budget Chancellor George Osborne proposed a levy on profits diverted to offshore tax havens.
Corporate accounts show Apple made £116billion of sales globally in the 12 months to September 2014.