I did not draw the conclusion. The conclusion was drawn by congress after a thorough investigation. Yes it was most likely a crime, but that is why Apple spends a gazillion dollars on lawyers... so they can skirt the law. It is sweet justice that in this European Union tax ruling they finally were called on their illegal activities.
"Apple wasn't even reporting its U.S. taxes accurately, either, the Senate subcommittee found. Its annual report disclosed it paid much higher U.S. taxes than it actually paid to the IRS (see page 39). To investors, Apple said it paid $6.9 billion in U.S. taxes in 2011. But it actually only paid the IRS $2.5 billion, according to its tax return."
That is a quote from the following link... not from me...
http://www.businessinsider.com/how-much-money-apple-avoids-paying-in-taxes-2014-6
So the difference between the financial statement they released to investors was off by a mere $4 Billion according to the Senate investigation. But it is easy to see how a million here and a million there and the addition gets a little screwed up.
And Apple is currently and remains in the tank for the Democrats. I am surprised that you would make any attempt to argue this point with anyone. I will repeat the link to the Breitbart article since you must not have noticed it.
“Apple’s CEO Tim Cook Hosts $50,000-per-Ticket Hillary Fundraiser”
I realize that $50,000 a plate is just a drop in the bucket for many silicon valley big wigs, but some people consider hosting a fundraiser that brought in millions of dollars for Hillary to be a bad thing.
And then there is this: Apple vs. the FBI: How campaign contributions are influencing the debate
https://www.crowdpac.com/blog/encryption
If you look through the article you will see that contributions from Apple and their employees favor Democrats by a very, very large margin. Is this really an area that you want to try and grind through.
I don't mind your harsh rhetoric because I understand that your emotional attachment to the company is deep. But they are a company who is doing basically all that they can do to support Hillary Clinton and defeat Donald Trump. And they don't spend almost unimaginable amounts of money on their legal team because they are choir boys.
“Unlike Facebook, Google and Microsoft, which have all said they will provide some support to the GOP event in Cleveland next month, Apple decided against donating technology or cash to the effort, according to two sources familiar with the iPhone maker’s plans. Apple’s political stand against Trump, communicated privately to Republicans, is a sign of the widening schism between Silicon Valley and the GOP’s bombastic presumptive nominee.”
http://www.politico.com/story/2016/06/apple-wont-aid-gop-convention-over-trump-224513
Apple is on the side of the Hillary Clinton and the Democrats in the current political battle. They are the most firmly “never trump” company that I am aware of. This is the most important political battle in most of our lifetimes. Apple has drawn clear lines and unlike Obama they are not backing down. At this time they are bad, bad news. If Hillary wins it will be largely because of assistance from companies like Apple. At this point in time Apple is clearly acting like the enemy. They want the Clintons to win, to name the next several Supreme Court Justices, and continue Obama's disastrous policies. Are you really trying to argue that they are neutral in this battle? Really?
SHEESH! No, it was NOT concluded by CONGRESS. This is what makes you an idiot. You don't know the difference between a research reported by Senators office staff and a Congressional Hearing and the vote they may or may not have taken. The committee staff's report is NOT taken under oath, Tim Cook's testimony and the evidence submitted WAS entered under oath and it REFUTED that staff report, proving its allegations WRONG! Evidence does count for something. SHEESH!
Had that subcommittee report been correct, Tim Cook and his auditors would be languishing in JAIL and subject to major fines. I've seen both. That report is NOT a report to "investors," it is a FINANCIAL REPORT to the Federal Exchange Commission, a part of the Federal Government which investors are free to see, and is also filed WITH Apple's Tax Return. They have to agree. Don't you know anything? Apparently not. And they DID agree.
If you'd bother to read the foot note on Page 39 where the article got its piece of misinformation from the subcommittee's report, which even the researchers obviously did not understand what they included, Apple's 10K FINANCIAL STATEMENT filed with the SEC footnoted the following:
"According to Apple’s 2011 10-K, the company had net excess tax benefits from stock based compensation which is the main reason for the difference between Apple’s current tax liability on its financial statement and the liability reported on Apple’s tax return. See Apple Inc. Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended September 29, 2011, at 63; Subcommittee interview of Phillip Bullock (5/15/2013)."
In other words, the 4.4 billion difference was being paid in a different, but completely legal FORM that particular year. . . but, oh, doesn't it make for a juicy story fodder for people who don't understand tax law? Someone, like you or the author of the article, who doesn't bother to read footnotes, or doesn't understand what they read. IRS got the total amount due, just not in that manner.
AGAIN, you, without any evidence, conflate something you do not understand and which is completely legal into a "crime." You are really a piece of work, fireman.