[unwind]

I'm not from the US, but I don't even understand the basic premise.

If these companies avoid paying taxes by not being registered/incorporated in the US, how could they possibly be eligible for help from the US government?

That just seems like a contradiction, like a huge case of having your cake and eating it.

[iguy]

It's pretty crazy. They should, of course, feel free to petition the government of Liberia for help.

[jjeaff]

Carnival Cruises is headquartered in Miami. They register their ships in other countries for various reasons. One of which is taxes. But the company itself is based in the US.

[bradleyjg]

The pay no taxes.

Carnival Corp and Norwegian both posted negative income tax expenses — that is, they received more in refunds or deductions than they paid or set aside for taxes — with Carnival reporting an income tax expense of $71 million and Norwegian reporting an $18.9 million tax benefit.

They don’t contribute to the public fisc in good times, they should have no call on it when times are tough.

[jjeaff]

So like Amazon? Have they never paid taxes? Because that quote seems to be referring to a single year?

[deelowe]

They pay a ton income tax and sales tax.

[93po]

What do they pay sales tax on that makes any material difference? And what's their income tax as a percentage of revenue?

[icebraining]

Headquartered in Miami, but incorporated in Panama.

[jjeaff]

That doesn't matter. If you have operations in the US, you have to pay US taxes. Now they may be getting around those taxes, but they have to file.

[icebraining]

Yes, they have to file, but it does matter:

> In general, under Section 883 of the Internal Revenue Code, certain non-U.S. corporations (such as our North American cruise ship businesses) are not subject to U.S. federal income tax or branch profits tax on U.S. source income derived from, or incidental to, the international operation of a ship or ships

From https://www.carnivalcorp.com/financial-information/annual-re...

[busterarm]

Indeed, there's a bustling maritime law industry in the state of Florida that would die if the cruise industry were to fail or leave.

[markdown]

Are you arguing that we should bail out the cruise industry to save the lawyers?

[foxyv]

I think there is a missing /s

[Cthulhu_]

They'll likely get it because they can pay politicians to vote in favor, or said politicians own a stake in those companies - probably indirectly to avoid an apparent conflict of interest, but who will find out?

Actually they did, see Panama Papers. So many higher-ups turned out to have a lot of money stashed away abroad.

Politicians are corrupt. I mean take Trump; while he 'officially' renounced control / ownership of his properties (I think?), he's still pumping hundreds of (tax payer) millions into his own resorts by going golfing every week in his own resorts. Said taxpayers are the common folk as well, not the actual resort itself.

[computerphage]

The problem with statements like "politicians are corrupt" is that it makes it possible for people to see what Trump is doing as just more of the status quo. It needs to be possible for some politicians to not be corrupt in order for the allegation of corruption towards Trump to carry any meaning.

[TomMarius]

Maybe politicians shouldn't have as much power?

[etrautmann]

I am from the US and the premise is ridiculous to even consider. The cruise industry in no way should be prioritized or considered essential.