Ruby Princess docks at Port Kembla

CREDIT: AAP

The company behind the Ruby Princess cruise liner at the centre of the country's coronavirus outbreak pays no company tax in Australia despite its division contributing more than $US2.6 billion to its parent's bottom line.

According to its 2019 annual report, British-American cruise giant Carnival Corporation & plc benefits from a longstanding tax arrangement between Australia and the UK.

 P&O Cruises (Australia) and all of the other cruise ships operated internationally by Carnival plc for the cruise segment of the Australian vacation region are exempt from Australian corporation tax by virtue of the UK/Australian income tax treaty," the annual report from February discloses.