Apple tax money boosts Ireland’s surplus to €23 billion in 2024

By Gráinne Ní Aodha, PA

Ireland recorded a surplus of €23 billion last year, according to provisional figures from the Central Statistics Office (CSO).

This includes more than €13 billion in Apple tax money that was the feature of a dispute between the US tech giant, Ireland and the European Commission.

The provisional CSO figures indicate a significant increase on the surpluses recorded in both 2023 and 2022 (€8.3 billion and €8.6 billion respectively).

They also indicate the government debt ratio decreased to 40.9 per cent of GDP at the end of 2024, compared to 52.6 per cent three years ago.

The figure will be finalised when the Government accounts are published on April 22nd.

Ireland is in the process of recovering more than €13 billion, plus interest, in corporation tax from the US tech giant after the European Commission successfully argued that Apple had been given undue tax benefits that were illegal under EU state aid rules.

Apple and the Irish Government had argued that the correct amount of tax had been paid and fought the commission on the matter in a years-long legal dispute.

The ruling was criticised by US President Donald Trump when he met Taoiseach Micheal Martin in the White House last month.

The CSO recorded the full Apple tax amount in the year 2024, after the final ruling was issued.