[jdross]

Well historically when a corporation couldn't reinvest its capital for an above market rate of return, it would either buy back shares or issues dividends so owners/shareholders can reinvest for higher return.

Hoarding this much cash is historically unprecedented, largely because it's mostly offshore for tech companies and repatriating it would cost many billions in taxes.

[lucretian]

maybe they should repatriate it and pay their damn taxes.

[Veratyr]

Why? Why should they pay US tax on money earned abroad? They've paid tax to the local government where sales were made, why does the US get a cut too?

[B1FF_PSUVM]

Enforcement. Getting billions out of intellectual property works better if you have a couple dozen aircraft carriers, etc. to back up the diplomats and trade treaties.

"You can get much farther with a kind word and a gun than you can with a kind word alone."

[ec109685]

Why shouldn’t they? Google pays sales tax here too and yet have a corporate income tax given they are based in the US.

[Veratyr]

My point is why are they subject to a corporate income tax on income earned and already taxed abroad? The US government hasn't supported that income.

[skj]

Without arguing for or against repatriation taxes, I don't think it is true that "The US government hasn't supported that income."