Apple on Thursday posted a net income of $14.7 billion in the past quarter despite a huge tax bill in Ireland, a significant decline compared to the nearly $23 billion posted a year ago. Meanwhile, the iPhone maker’s total net sales rose 6% year-on-year to $94.9 billion, exceeding analysts’ expectations. In China, net sales fell slightly to $15 billion, missing market expectations. Apple’s shares fell by around 1% at times in after-hours trading in the United States. The iPhone was once again a driving force for the company, with sales up 5.5% to $46.2 billion, partly driven by the the launch …