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

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

This includes more than 13 billion euro 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 euro and 8.6 billion euro respectively).

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

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

Ireland is in the process of recovering more than 13 billion euro – 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.