Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) is reportedly getting a helping hand from the US government in its tax dispute with the European Union.
The US government has filed an application with the EU General Court to intervene in the case, Reuters reported, citing a source familiar with the matter.
The European Commission ordered Apple to pay back up to €13bn in Irish taxes. Apple is accused of winning sweetheart tax deals from the Irish government, which amounted to illegal subsidies.
The iPhone maker has appealed the order, taking its case to the Luxembourg-based General Court, in December.
The Obama administration has slammed the EU for its decision, saying the bloc has helped itself to cash that should have been paid in the US.
"I can confirm the United States filed an application with the European Union General Court to intervene in the case involving the retroactive application of state aid rules to Apple," the source said.
The Trump administration has not commented publicly on the case as yet. President Donald Trump has vowed to give US companies with corporate profits held offshore a US$2.6trn tax break.
Apple, which has been stashing cash overseas ahead of the proposed tax reform, has said that it was a convenient target for the EU. The tech giant also accused the EU competition enforced of using and "absurd theory" to come up with the tax penalty.