Italy is carrying out an investigation on Apple over alleged evasion of over $1.35bn in taxes by booking some of its profit via Irish-based subsidiary Apple Sales International (ASI) to avoid paying taxes in the country.
In 2011 and 2012, the Cupertino-based iPhone maker was fined about €1m by Italy’s competition regulator in a warranty case.
Apple said in an e-mailed statement that the company pays every dollar and euro it owes in taxes and is continuously audited by governments around the world.
"The Italian tax authorities already audited Apple Italy in 2007, 2008 and 2009 and confirmed that we were in full compliance with the OECD documentation and transparency requirements," the iPhone maker said.
"We are confident the current review will reach the same conclusion."
The iPhone maker is the latest firm to be targeted over tax issues in Italy in the midst of a global crack down against web companies including Google, Amazon and others over tax issues.
During early November, Italy’s centre-left Democratic Party put forward a legislation which would require internet companies including Google, Facebook, Yahoo and others to pay more taxes on their revenues made in Italy.
Under the "Google Tax" law, which is aimed at raising government revenues, is expected to raise about $1.35bn annually.
However, Ireland proposed to close up a tax loophole used by Apple to defend $40bn (£25bn) from taxation, global internet firms being fired over their practise of shifting majority of their profits into their Irish units, which had no long-established tax residency across the world.
