Italian prosecutors have wrapped up an investigation into allegations US tech giant Apple failed to pay nearly a billion dollars in corporate taxes .  Apparently they have enough evidence to ask a judge to charge Apple and begin the long court process. 

Apparently between 2008-2013, two managers from the Italian subsidiary of Apple operations and another from its Irish-based subsidiary Apple Sales International,managed to avoid paying the earnings from Apple's Italian operations to the taxman.

The probe claims that by having profits generated in Italy booked by the Irish subsidiary, Apple reduced its taxable income base and saved just under 900 million euros in the period, the sources said.

Apple is furious that someone would dare to say it didnt pay its tax bill.  It said it was one of the biggest taxpayers in the world and paid every euro of tax it owed wherever it did business. Although that is a stretch of the truth. It might be obeying tax law by funnelling funds through Ireland or Luxembourg but it is certainly not paying every cent it should be paying.

Apple said the Italian tax authorities had audited Apple's Italian operations in 2007, 2008 and 2009 and confirmed it was in full compliance with the OECD documentation and transparency requirements.

However that was before the Germans started demanding the money they owed the Italians back and the economy tanked.