Why do big corporations get to claim losses, but small businesses can't?
Uber has never once turned a profit, and is allowed to continue running their business. If you're a small business owner running an ebay or ecom business, and you claim losses for 3 out of 5 years in a row, it's likely that the IRS will audit you, and could deem you a hobby. Amazon is often cited as not generating a profit for many years, but is now profitable. For them, it was somehow okay to run a business making no profit! So like, how come small businesses can't claim losses, but big corps can?
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Because they manage to attract investment.
As long as investors are willing to give cash in exchange for equity, a company can operate on that cash and run at a loss.
To clarify further, in the US, the IRS cares about the big businesses too and they get audited, at least, yearly by law. Also, small businesses can still operate if they have the capital to do so. The IRS is concerned about ensuring no laundering or otherwise nefarious activities are going on, which is why they get the spotlight when running in the red consistently.
The IRS doesn't audit annually, companies hire 3rd party auditors. And it's not a tax requirement, it's a public-company requirement.
Thanks for the clarification. It's a very important distinction.