What's really funny is that Apple is caught between TWO groups of salivating socialists who are arguing about which one gets to steal Apple's money! Ireland would be able to tax it retroactively at only 12.5% minus whatever tax Apple has already paid. The US Treasury want Apple to pick it all up and bring it home so THEY can tax it at 35%! Hilarious!
On the other hand, Ireland doesn't WANT it. . . but the drooling EU socialists do . . . because they have a regulation that requires Ireland to pay off any outstanding loans they have received from the EU with any back taxes they receive. Oh. . . guess what, this 13 billion Euro windfall of back taxes from Apple would go straight to the EU!
I like what makes Tim Cook and Apple squirm, but the EU is a monstrous dishonest Orwellian bureaucracy that should not be allowed to re-write the rules retroactively. So I guess I have to root for Apple on this one, although without much enthusiasm.