Top EU court’s ruling on Apple tax case could have wider effect on multinationals

Long-running legal battle began in 2016 after bloc's competition chief said iPhone maker had benefited from unfair tax breaks in Ireland

The EU's top court will rule whether the European Commission was right to demand that 13bn in illegal" tax breaks for Apple should be repaid, in a judgment likely to have far-reaching effects on sweetheart deals for large multinationals.

A ruling due on Tuesday from the European court of justice (ECJ) may bring an end to a bitter legal saga that began in 2016 when the EU competition chief, Margrethe Vestager, concluded the iPhone maker had benefited from billions worth of unfair tax breaks from the Irish government.