0.005% is what they paid in 2014 according to the EU Commission, giving them an unfair competitive advantage towards other companies who cannot afford to set up complex schemes to avoid paying taxes like them. A EU country can decide their own tax rate, but not favor a particular company over all the others.

http://europa.eu/rapid/press-release_IP-16-2923_en.htm

> Even Ireland (the county the money is supposedly owed to) says it's ridiculous.

Ireland is accused (and convicted) of giving illegal tax benefits to Apple. Of course they don't like the verdict.

the people of Ireland should be the ones responsible for how they tax their constituents.

It's crazy people support the EU telling a sovereign country how to tax their citizens.

of course, that's supposedly what they signed up for by joining the EU. it's no wonder countries want to leave it tho. who voluntarily decides to give up their soverignity?

> who voluntarily decides to give up their soverignity?

Everyone who chooses not to live in anarchy; it's a very normal and healthy thing to do.

Groups of people cooperate to agree on rules that achieve situations far superior to anarchy, where might makes right and little progress is made. My various levels of localities "give up" sovereignty to national government, which "gives up" sovereignty to international institutions. My person "gives up" sovereignty to all of the above. That way we can coordinate things on a local, national, and international scale as needed, from taxes to trade to health care to nuclear disarmament.

In this case, Europeans felt the need to agree on rules to prevent a race to the bottom in tax benefits to corporations. Everyone benefits by following these rules.