Irish tax shelter for Apple may be ending

The Irish government said on Tuesday it will consider eliminating a treatment that allows firms such as Apple to be taxed as a “stateless” corporate entity as part of the country’s 2014 budget preparations.

The budget could signal the end to what many U.S. legislators have deemed a “tax dodge” that put Apple’s tax rate in the country at below 2%, far lower than Ireland’s 12.5% corporate tax rate, and even more burdensome taxation levels in the U.S.