Apple CEO Tm Cook (Photo : Reuters/Robert Galbraith)
Apple CEO Tim Cook became irritated when recently asked by "60 Minutes" TV journalist Charlie Rose during an interview if the company had taken steps to avoid paying taxes based on international revenue. Cook stated that claims of tax evasion were untrue and "total political crap" because the tech giant pays all taxation owed.
Rose was bringing up the same tax avoidance issues made by the United States Congress a few years ago. The CBS journalist pointed out that Apple's CEO gave the same reason for keeping billions of dollars in overseas accounts. It is too expensive to bring it back to the US.
Cook argued that the problem is the "awful" US tax code that would cost the company 40 percent of its overseas earnings to bring it back. In the 2013 Congressional hearing he shared that the company would only return the money to local banks if a single-digit tax rate was charged, according to The Verge.
The tax evasion issue has become less of an issue since then. However, countries such as Ireland have announced they will start ending loopholes on foreign companies' earned income in their countries.
The interview includes multiple issues related to Apple's operations. It will also feature various tech issues including the Apple Store's new design and security issues such as encryption and privacy.
On the long-running CBS show Rose also talked with Apple's design chief Jonathan Ive. The clip will provide a rare look of how innovative products such as the iPhone ad iPad were developed, according to CNET.
