一年入账超450亿元，“苹果税”国内争议再起

Core Viewpoint - The UK Competition Appeal Tribunal (CAT) ruled that Apple's 30% App Store commission constitutes an unfair high price, potentially leading to a £1.5 billion ($2 billion) compensation claim against Apple [2] Group 1: Legal Developments - A collective complaint was filed by 55 Chinese consumers against Apple for abusing market dominance and imposing high commissions [2] - The Zhejiang Kanding Law Firm, representing the complainants, previously initiated a lawsuit against Apple regarding in-app purchase monopolies in 2021, with the Shanghai Intellectual Property Court recognizing Apple's market dominance but not abuse [2][3] - A recent ruling in the U.S. allows consumers to choose payment channels, breaking Apple's in-app purchase monopoly [5] Group 2: Market Dynamics - The term "Apple Tax" refers to the commission Apple charges on digital goods and services purchased through its App Store, typically ranging from 15% to 30% [2] - In 2024, the estimated "Apple Tax" in China is projected to reach $6.44 billion, second only to the U.S. market's $14.8 billion [2] - Compared to the U.S. and EU, where Apple has relaxed payment channel restrictions, Chinese consumers face the highest commission rates [3][5] Group 3: Developer Perspectives - Developers express frustration over Apple's monopoly, with many feeling compelled to accept the "Apple Tax" due to lack of alternatives [7] - The majority of developers do not reach the $1 million revenue threshold to benefit from reduced commission rates, making the App Store the preferred platform despite the high fees [11] - The ongoing debate around "Apple Tax" is expected to lead to further legal actions from developers against Apple [7][12] Group 4: Financial Implications - Apple's service revenue reached $27.42 billion in Q3 2025, with a gross margin of 75.6%, significantly higher than hardware margins [11] - If the "Apple Tax" policy is relaxed, it could save Chinese digital application companies over 45 billion yuan in transaction commissions, exceeding the 2024 Chinese box office revenue [12] - The report indicates that the App Store ecosystem in China has doubled in scale from 1.65 trillion yuan to 3.76 trillion yuan from 2019 to 2023 [10]