Apple CEO Tim Cook and CFO Peter Oppenheimer Testify In Front of Senate Committee on Tax Strategies

After jostling in competing memoranda yesterday, Apple and a group of U.S. Senators are prepared to go head-to-head in a committee hearing examining the tax avoidance strategies of Apple and other multinational corporations.

CEO Tim Cook, CFO Peter Oppenheimer, and Apple's head of tax operations Phillip A. Bullock will appear in front of the U.S. Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigation in the second part of a committee hearing running now.

The hearing is streaming live on C-Span and we will be liveblogging the hearing below.


Apple yesterday released a statement laying out some of its international operations and financial strategies, noting that it paid $6 billion in federal income tax in 2012 and that it has created hundreds of thousands of jobs in the United States.

A bipartisan group of Senators responded with a statement of its own, accusing Apple of using several offshore subsidiaries to avoid paying income taxes. Said Senator Carl Levin (D-MI), "Apple sought the Holy Grail of tax avoidance. It has created offshore entities holding tens of billions of dollars, while claiming to be tax resident nowhere."

Earlier today, the Irish government -- where a number of Apple's subsidiaries are headquartered -- said that it was not responsible for the tax rates Apple pays in other countries and that its system was transparent.

Liveblog will start once Apple's employees appear in front of the committee

Note: Due to the political nature of the discussion regarding this topic, the comment thread is located in our Politics, Religion, Social Issues forum. All MacRumors forum members and site visitors are welcome to read and follow the thread, but posting is limited to forum members with at least 100 posts.

How to Check an iTunes / App Store Account Balance Quickly from iOS & Mac OS X

Ever wanted to check the remaining balance of an Apple ID, so you know how much credit is remaining for iTunes, iBooks, or App Store purchases? Us too, and it's actually quite simple to see quickly from either iOS with an iPhone or iPad, or through OS X from any Mac. The only thing you'll need is the App Store or iTunes app and the Apple ID you want to check the balance for, and since the App Store is included with every single Apple device you'll be able to do this from just about anywhere.

Keep in mind that balances and store credits are universal, meaning that an iTunes Store balance is available for purchasing things from the App Store or iBooks store, and vice versa, and App Store balances will be available for buying apps from either the iOS or OS X stores. There is no differentiation in how or where the credit can be used, the only requirement is using the same Apple ID. This applies the same to both iTunes & Apple accounts that have credit cards and those that do not. Additionally, a gift card redeemed in one store or service will be available as credit in another, so long as the Apple ID is consistent. That is why it doesn't matter which application you use to check the account balance.

Check the iTunes / App Store Balance from iOS

This process focuses on the App Store, though you could use the exact method in iTunes apps on any iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch.

• Launch App Store and tap the "Featured" tab
• Scroll to the very bottom to see the remaining account balance

If you don't see the balance listed immediately, it's probably because the Apple ID is not logged in, or because it hasn't be saved to the App Store or iTunes yet. In that case you'll need to tap on the account name or email address and log in to reveal the balance.

Check Available App Store & iTunes Credits on the Mac

This will use the App Store application, but the exact same instructions apply to iTunes as well.

• Open the App Store from OS X and choose the "Featured" tab
• Look in the right-side, next to "Account" will be the available balance
• OR: if the balance is not immediately visible, click on "Account" and log in, then look under "Apple ID Balance:" to find the exact amount of available credits

To reiterate, though we have are choosing to use the App Store apps for both iOS and OS X for this walkthrough, the instructions are identical if you were to use the iTunes app in any operating system as well, be it on the iPhone, iPad, Mac, or even a Windows PC. You can also check balances from Newsstand and iBooks, because both are ultimately connected through the same Apple ID to iTunes anyway.

Checking Balances for Other Apple ID's or From Other Devices

If you're using this to check the balance of a different Apple ID or associated account, or if you are checking your own iTunes/App Store balance from another persons computer or iPhone, do not forget to log out after you are done.

Because an Apple ID holds account credits, credit card information, iCloud backups, purchase history, both iMessages and FaceTime addresses, the ability to redownload bought apps, and so much more, it's pretty important to keep Apple ID's secured with strong passwords, and to always remember to log out of computers or devices that are not yours.

To log out of an Apple ID from the App Store:

• From the "Featured" tab, scroll to the very bottom and tap on the Apple ID
• Choose the "Sign Out" button

For added security, you can also enable 2-step authentication for Apple ID's, though if you lose the backup keys in two-step mode you will be forever locked out of an Apple ID, meaning for some forgetful people it could be too secure. The other possible downside to two-step authentication is it makes it harder to check balances for other Apple ID's, meaning it's not always the most practical solution for families and even some educational or corporate users.

Curiously, there is no current ability to check account balances on the official Apple ID management site at Apple.com, though that may change down the road. Obviously an ability to check and add to balances directly through Apple's web site would be tremendously beneficial for managing groups of ID's, but in the meantime you can rely on the excellent allowance feature of iTunes to allocate monthly credits to individual Apple ID's.

Apple and Sony 'iRadio' Negotiations Stalling Over Skipped Songs

Earlier today a report suggested that the launch of Apple's upcoming streaming music service deemed "iRadio" may be delayed due to difficult negotiations with Sony Music and Warner Music Group.

CNET is offering some additional information on Apple's trouble with Sony Music, explaining that the fees to be paid for skipped songs have become a point of contention between the companies.

Apple and Sony Music, the world's second largest music label, are still trying to hammer out details over how much Apple would pay for songs that people listen to a fraction of and then skip, according to people familiar with the negotiations.

While Apple's music service is said to be more similar to Pandora than Spotify, Apple does plan to deviate from Pandora's rigid station-based listening rules by giving users extended control, like the ability to rewind or skip a song after listening to a small portion of it. Pandora limits its users to 12 skips per day and pays the full royalty rate for each skipped track.

Apple has faced continual struggles over pricing during negotiations, originally offering to pay just half of Pandora's royalty rate while demanding more flexibility. The company later agreed to up its offered price, but it may not be willing to make further concessions as an Apple-branded music service offers additional perks that other music streaming sites can't compete with, such as an established market for purchasing streamed tracks.

The stalled negotiations between Apple and Sony Music are annoying other labels, who are eager to see iRadio launch. Apple finalized an agreement with Universal Music earlier this month and is close to signing a deal with Warner Music Group, according to CNET's sources.

That skipping has become an issue is frustrating executives at the other labels because they see Apple's free radio service as a potential boon for the music industry overall and are eager to help Apple get it launched.

Apple was pushing for a summer launch of iRadio, with possible plans to unveil the service at its annual Worldwide Developers Conference in June, but it is unclear if the company will be able to meet that deadline.