Welcome to North Carolina, I-85 Northbound by Ken Lund is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0

Below is a continuously updated compilation of good news arising from Tax Cuts and Jobs Act enacted by Republicans in 2017.

ACCORDING TO THE LATEST IRS DATA:

20% tax cut for North Carolinians making between $25k – $50k. North Carolina households with adjusted gross income between $25,000 and $50,000 saw their average federal income tax liability drop from $2,164.85 in 2017 to $1,801.18 in 2019, a 20.2% reduction in federal income tax liability.

20% tax cut for North Carolinians making between $50k – $75k. North Carolina households with adjusted gross income between $50,000 and $75,000 saw their average federal income tax liability drop from $5,320.68 in 2017 to $4,441.41 in 2019, a 20% reduction in federal income tax liability. 

18% tax cut for North Carolinians making between $75k – $100k. North Carolina households with adjusted gross income between $75,000 and $100,000 saw their average federal income tax liability drop from $8,658.02 in 2017 to $7,352.65 in 2019, a 17.8% reduction in federal income tax liability. 

Just an 8.2% tax cut for North Carolinians making over $1 million. Democrats claim the tax cuts were for “the rich” but as shown by the data, middle income North Carolinians saw a greater tax cut than those earning over $1 million. North Carolina households earning over $1 million saw their federal income tax liability drop from $749,444.13 in 2017 to $692,933.67 in 2019, a reduction of 8.2%. Data from the Congressional Budget Office also shows that high-earning Americans pay a greater share of taxes than before the Trump tax cuts. In other words, the tax code actually became more progressive, though you won’t hear Democrats admit it. 

The TCJA also contained numerous reforms that benefited North Carolina households: 

NC households no longer stuck paying the Obamacare mandate tax. The TCJA zeroed out the Obamacare individual mandate tax penalty effective 2019. In 2017, 141,980 North Carolina households paid the Obamacare individual mandate tax penalty. 127,140 (90%) of taxpayers earned less than $75,000.

104,670 households paid the Obamacare individual mandate tax penalty in 2018. 91,080 (87.02%) of taxpayers earned less than $75,000.

Doubled Standard Deduction. The TCJA doubled the standard deduction from $12,000 to $24,000 for taxpayers filing jointly and $6,000 to $12,000 for single filers. 4,105,020 NC households took the standard deduction in 2018 including 4,009,850 households earning less than $200,000. 4,279,210 taxpayers took the standard deduction in 2019 including 4,169,450 taxpayers earning less than $200,000.

20% tax deduction for NC small businesses. The TCJA created a new, 20% deduction for small businesses organized as passthrough entities (LLCs, sole proprietors, S-corporations, partnerships). 661,150 NC taxpayers claimed the small business deduction in 2019 including 541,230 taxpayers earning less than $200,000. 558,230 taxpayers claimed the small business deduction in 2018 including 463,880 taxpayers earning less than $200,000. 

Doubled Child Tax Credit. The TCJA doubled the child tax credit from $1,000 to $2,000. 1,232,940 NC households took the child tax credit in 2019 including 1,143,290 households earning less than $200,000.

1,211,090 households took the child tax credit in 2018 including 1,129,420 households earning less than $200,000.

Utility Savings: If not for the TCJA, utility bills would be even higher. As a direct result (see citations in the list below) of the TCJA’s corporate tax rate cut, North Carolina residents are saving money on utility bills. Lower electric, water, and gas bills help households and small businesses operating on tight margins. For example, at least two North Carolina utilities reduced their customers’ bills (see citations in the list below).

Note how North Carolina businesses cite the tax cuts as a driver of new job creation and pay increases:

C.R. Onsrud (Troutman, North Carolina) — The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act has allowed the company to hire 40 new employees and invest over $8 million in plant upgrades and new equipment.

“At C.R. Onsrud, we appreciate Rep. Budd’s commitment to pro-growth policies and regulatory reform, said Tom Onsrud, president and CEO of C.R. Onsrud. His vote for the tax legislation was a clear message that he stands with manufacturers and manufacturing workers across America. As a direct result of the tax legislation, C.R. Onsrud has hired an additional 40 employees and, due to the immediate capital expensing provision of the law, has invested over $8 million in plant upgrades and equipment necessary to grow our business. Because of Rep. Budd’s leadership in Washington, manufacturing in North Carolina will only continue to flourish.” — August 30, 2018 NAM Shopfloor Blog

Power Curbers, Inc. (Salisbury, North Carolina) — Added new jobs, added bonuses for workers, and is investing more in research and development because of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. 

“All of us at Power Curbers Companies are pleased with Rep. Budd’s vote to enact the new tax law, said Dyke Messinger, President of Power Curbers, Inc. Our employment has grown since the law was enacted; we paid a bonus for 2017 and will pay another bonus for the first six months of 2018. In addition, we are investing heavily in R&D, which will continue to strengthen the company for the long term.” — July 2, 2018 NAM Shopfloor Blog

Ghostface Brewing (Mooresville, North Carolina) – Hiring new employees, purchasing more equipment, and increasing distribution:

Mike Cuddy, owner of Ghostface Brewing in Mooresville, N.C., said his company also used the tax break to buy more equipment, hire more people and focus on distribution to local grocery stores and restaurants. – April 26, 2018, MarketWatch article excerpt

Benchmark Auto Sales (Asheville, North Carolina) – thanks to tax reform, 100 percent of the staff now has employer-provided health insurance:

A weight many Americans shoulder everyday is now gone for the people who work in gravel lot filled with cars along Brevard Road near the Blue Ridge Parkway.

We’re talking health care.

We had 80 percent of our staff was not insured. We have 100 percent insured now. That’s a big feat,” Benchmark Auto Sales owner Joe Segrave said.

It was Segrave’s decision, but he said it would not have happened without the tax bill that finally passed on Capitol Hill.

“I think all of us share a certain level of disgust with what’s going on with politics in our nation, and, really, I like to keep this as an apolitical decision,” Segrave said. “The bottom line is I had a chance to pay it forward to my employees.” – WLOS ABC News 13 report

The Raleigh Rum Company (Raleigh, North Carolina) – The company was able to reinvest in the business because of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act:

The Raleigh Rum Company got its start back in 2014. 

“The Raleigh Rum Company was actually started by three of us. We’re actually friends from high school. We went to Apex High in the area and we actually were just really inspired by the awesome craft beer that was in the area,” Matt Grossman, Co-Founder said.

Both local businesses helped by the Craft Beverage Modernization and Tax Reform Act that Congress passed back in 2017.

It lowered the federal excise tax from $13.50 per proof gallon to $2.70. Per bottle, the tax went down from $2.14 to 43 cents. 

“That was a big impact for us. We were able to kinda reinvest into our business. Operate our equipment a little bit. We were definitely planning on making some hires here pretty soon,” Grossman said. – Dec. 17, 2019, CBS 17 article.

Southern Elevator Co. (Greensboro, North Carolina) — Because of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, the company was able to expand their capital and purchase new equipment.

“All of us at Southern Elevator are grateful for Rep. Budd’s commitment to economic growth and his vote to enact the new tax law, said Rodney Pitts, Chairman and CEO of Southern Elevator Company. The immediate capital expensing provision of the tax law has made a significant difference in Southern Elevator’s ability to grow and purchase equipment, and we consistently hear the same from our manufacturing clients. Because of Rep. Budd’s leadership in Congress, manufacturing in North Carolina will only continue to flourish.” — August 24, 2018 NAM Shopfloor Blog

TradeMark Properties (Raleigh, North Carolina) — The company is building a soccer stadium in an Opportunity Zone created by the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act:

Raleigh developer John Kane, who spearheaded the resurrection of North Hills and the Warehouse District, teamed with local soccer leader Steve Malik and TradeMark Properties owner Billie Redmond Monday evening to unveil his next target: what the group is calling “Downtown South” in a project even bigger in scope than originally anticipated.

Kane, Redmond and Malik will be at a news conference Tuesday morning at The Dillon, debuting plans for a 20,000-seat soccer stadium that would serve as the hub for a sprawling district that would include hotels and residential and retail units.

The site is in an Opportunity Zone, a big incentive for investors. The Opportunity Zones were created with the tax changes in 2017 and give investors significant tax breaks for investing in areas that have been traditionally underserved. — June 25, 2019 Triangle Business Journal article

Ketchie (Concord, North Carolina) — $500,000 capital investment in equipment:

“Because of this huge demand, Ketchie was able to make a number of capital investments,” Silver said. 

Silver said the company had it’s best year in history, with sales increasing by 25% year after year. — June 19, 2019 National Association of Manufacturers Shop Floor Blog

BB&T (Winston-Salem, North Carolina) – The base wage was increased from $12 to $15 per hour; $100 million in charitable donations; $1,200 bonuses for 27,000 employees:

“Overall, BB&T’s Executive Management team believes the successful passage of tax reform is very encouraging news that should move BB&T, the financial services industry and the U.S. economy in the direction of stronger growth.” – BB&T press release

Charlotte Pipe and Foundry Company (Charlotte, North Carolina) — $1,000 bonuses for all 1,400 employees:

Charlotte Pipe and Foundry joined the growing list of companies to deliver pay bonuses to their employees after the Republican-led tax cut dropped corporate and individual income taxes for most Americans.  Charlotte Pipe will give all associates $1,000 each on March 15.

“We are excited to share the benefits of our associates’ diligent efforts, loyalty, and dedication to Charlotte Pipe, and the benefits that will accrue from The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act,” said Roddy Dowd, Jr., CEO of Charlotte Pipe and Foundry. The company is based in Charlotte with seven plants across the U.S. making cast iron and plastic pipe fittings. The majority of their 1,400 employees are in North Carolina. – Jan. 17, 2018 North State Journal article excerpt

Aquesta Financial Holdings (Cornelius, North Carolina) — Base wage increased to $15 per hour; $1,000 bonuses to 95 employees:

“We are very happy to share with our valuable team members some portion of the benefits Aquesta will realize by the enactment of Tax Reform. Decreased tax rates will allow Aquesta Bank to continue to grow by accelerating lending to small businesses and hiring additional team members to help with that growth.  While almost all of our employees will also pay lower taxes in 2018 due to this new law, we felt that immediate recognition of their importance to Aquesta would send the right message: our people are what makes Aquesta different.” – Dec. 21 2017, Aquesta Financial Holdings press release

Atlantic Packaging (Wilmington, North Carolina) — $1,000 bonuses for 1,000 employees:

Atlantic Packaging, one of North Carolina’s largest privately held companies, headquartered in Wilmington, announced today that management is awarding $1,000 bonuses immediately to full-time employees. Nearly 1,000 Atlantic employees will receive the bonus payment…

“Our people are what make this organization successful and, though the tax benefit will not come until the end of 2018, we are distributing the bonus dollars now to acknowledge its impact,” he said. “The new tax code helps U.S. companies remain healthy and competitive in a global marketplace, and that directly and positively affects the people who work at these companies.” — Jan. 23 2018, Atlantic Packaging press release excerpts

The Hammock Source (Greenville, North Carolina) — all 150 employees received a tax reform bonus of up to $1,000 depending on length of service:

We at The Hammock Source want to continue to invest in the people that have made our business successful.  President Trump’s tax cuts will provide the funds to make this desire a reality.  We hope that other business will follow our lead and give back to their employees as well.

Perkins shared that each of The Hammock Source’s employees, including new hires and part time employees, will receive a bonus based on their length of service to the company. The company employs approximately 150 people with over ten percent having twenty or more years tenure with the Perkins Family’s Business.” – Jan. 25 2018, Casual Living article excerpt

D3 Development (Durham, North Carolina) — The company is constructing an apartment building with multiple restaurants in an Opportunity Zone created by the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act:

Work is underway on a development to transform a desolate, decrepit former textile mill into a residential showplace and turn a sleepy small town into a popular destination.

Mike Hill, CEO of D3 Development, told Triad Business Journal that the tricky financing process was finalized last month. Crews are busy in the early stages of creating 176 apartments and two restaurant spaces at Granite Mill, 122 E. Main St. in Haw River.

Hill said other financing will come from a U.S. Housing and Urban Development construction and permanent loan; federal historic tax credits; state of North Carolina mill credits; and a tax credit bridge loan. The project is also eligible for federal Opportunity Zone tax benefits.

Hill said much of his upcoming focus will be on finding tenants for the 15,000 square feet of restaurant space along East Main Street.

“The restaurants are important,” Hill said, acknowledging the need for attractions for residents and foundations to spur further development in the area. “I have to get going on it.” — April 18, 2019 Triad Business Journal article

Grubb Properties (Chapel Hill, North Carolina) — The company is renovating an office building located within an Opportunity Zone created by the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act:

With plans to take advantage of a new federal tax program, Charlotte-based Grubb Properties has acquired one of the largest office buildings on Chapel Hill’s Franklin Street and is eyeing a major renovation for the aging office tower.

Grubb bought the 137 E. Franklin St. building and its corresponding parking deck on Rosemary Street for $23.5 million earlier this month, according to county records. The building, which dates back to the 1970s, last sold in 2014 for around $26 million, according to records.

It marks the second major investment the Charlotte-based developer has made in Chapel Hill recently. On the other side of town, the company is currently building a new office building at the Glen Lennox apartments, a housing community that the company has owned for several decades.

Clark Spencer, a senior vice president for investments at Grubb, said the company was attracted to the building because of its location within a federally-designated “opportunity zone” that stretches from East Franklin Street to Estes Drive.

Grubb is currently in the process of raising $200 million for investments in opportunity zones and has plans for an investment in downtown Winston-Salem already.

The [Opportunity Zone] designation was created during the Republican tax overhaul in 2017 and it created nearly 9,000 zones across the country. Investors stand to get deferrals on capital-gains taxes and other taxes if they hold investments in opportunity zones for at least 10 years.

Over the next two years, Grubb plans to pour tens of millions of dollars into renovating the building, completely re-doing most of the glass facade on the backside of the building and updating the office layouts within it to a more modern configuration.

“We are working on various avenues of leasing (the building) back up and talking to a number of organizations,” Spencer said. “We are looking at certainly some new corporate tenants. And we would love to get a co-working tenant in there. That could be really beneficial for the town and the university.”

Matt Gladdek, the executive director of the Downtown Chapel Hill Partnership, said more updated office and co-working space is sorely needed in downtown Chapel Hill, especially for young startups and companies that spin out of the university’s research arms.

“What this really represents is an opportunity for new partnerships in that building and for businesses that need access to the university for research and innovation,” Gladdek said in a phone interview.

It could also be a boon for many local businesses on Franklin Street that have to navigate the summer months when there are fewer students in town to shop and eat.

“Creating a secondary use outside of the university that is constant is going to be really important so that our businesses can deal with the boom-bust cycle.” — April 26, 2019 News & Observer article

Holliday Fenoglio Fowler (Charlotte, North Carolina) — The company announced a mixed-use building in Charlotte that will be located in an Opportunity Zone created by the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act:

Holliday Fenoglio Fowler, L.P. (HFF) announces that it has arranged $22.639 million in financing for General Assembly, a 124,000-square-foot, mixed-use, adaptive-reuse project in Charlotte, North Carolina.

HFF worked on behalf of the borrower, Artesia Real Estate, to secure the five-year, floating-rate bridge loan through Ready Capital National Bridge Team. Loan proceeds are being used to refinance the acquisition loan and provide capital for property improvements.

General Assembly is a redevelopment of the longtime home of the City North Business Center, which was originally built in the 1930’s. Due for completion in fourth quarter of 2020, the project will utilize state-of-the-art new construction alongside vintage architecture and will encompass 100,000 square feet of Class A, collaborative creative office space and 24,000 square feet of retail and brewery space. General Assembly is located on 8.1 acres along North Tryon in the heart of the rapidly growing NoDa/North End submarket and Applied Innovation Corridor of Charlotte, which has been established as an Opportunity Zone and Catalyst site. The property benefits from its proximity to Uptown Charlotte, multiple breweries and restaurants, the Blue Line extension and adaptive re-use projects such as Camp North End. In addition, the mixed-use project is just one mile from Interstate 277, which connects to Interstate 77, the major corridor bisecting Charlotte. — May 30, 2019 press release

URS Capital Partners (Charlotte, North Carolina) — The company is building an apartment complex in an Opportunity Zone created by the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act:

URS has been active in the last year or so. The company sold three apartment communities in Georgia and one in Cincinnati for a combined $67.8 million. The first building in its 256-unit Latitude South Portland rental complex in Portland, Maine is slated to open in September. URS bought the 7.19-acre site, located in an Opportunity Zone, for $8 million and began construction on the $45 million project last spring. — May 1, 2020 Long Island Business News article

Stratifyd (Charlotte, North Carolina) — The data analytics firm will be moving to an Opportunity Zone created by the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act:

Charlotte-based data analytics firm Stratifyd said Thursday morning it will add 200 jobs here as part of a $3.25 million local investment and move to west Charlotte.

The company, which today employs about 100, will move its headquarters from The Foundry building in uptown to 2101 Thrift Road, part of the former Baker-Mitchell Co. property west of uptown Charlotte. Stratifyd CEO Derek Wang, a former UNC Charlotte professor, said the new jobs will primarily be in tech, including engineering positions and marketing services

….

The area west of Charlotte — which has been called a range of names, including FreeMoreWest and the Freight District — has seen a recent surge of commercial real estate activity. Another Charlotte-headquartered company, Wray Ward, is moving its 100-plus employees into 38,000 square feet at 2317 Thrift Road. Local coworking group Hygge Coworking Co. has a 20,000-square-foot office on Jay Street. And a number of breweries, restaurants and other retail outlets are also moving in, including two concepts by restaurateur Jim Noble, breweries and a “seltzery.”

Thrift Road, like much of west Charlotte, is part of an opportunity zone, a federal tax incentive for real estate or business investment in low-income census tracts certified by the U.S. government. — October 31, 2019 Charlotte Business Journal article

Tis The Season (West Jefferson, North Carolina) – $1,000 bonuses for full-time employees:

Luther Pitts, owner of Tis The Season, gave his full time employees a big bonus for the holiday season.

Pitts, a resident of Jefferson, gave his two full-time employees $1,000 bonuses in addition to their Christmas bonuses due to the recent tax cuts passed by the United States Congress.

“I like what the president is doing and I’ve done well for myself. Everything I do here is to try and help the county,” Pitts said. “I was trying to inspire other business owners to do something nice for their employees. It may not be $1,000, but something to help the people because the county needs it.”

Pitts said the passage of the tax cuts made his bonuses possible. – Jan. 3, 2018 Ashe Post and Times article excerpt

Reynolds American, Inc. (Winston-Salem, North Carolina) — $1,000 bonuses for 4,500 employees:

Reynolds American Inc. said Wednesday that most of its 5,500 employees will benefit from a one-time $1,000 bonus related to the federal corporate tax rate cut.

Reynolds spokesman David Howard said the bonus will be paid to “all regular, full-time hourly and salaried employees of RAI and its subsidiaries, up to and including the level of senior manager.”

This amounts to 4,500 employees. He said the bonus would be paid Friday.

Reynolds has, at last count, between 2,000 to 2,200 employees in Forsyth County, the majority of whom work at the Tobaccoville plant.

“RAI and its operating companies applaud Congress and the president for bringing corporate income tax reform to a reality, and are using this opportunity to show appreciation to their hard-working employees,” Howard said.

BAT also said Feb. 27 that it would dedicate much of the financial benefit from the tax-rate cut to assist in accelerating the pace of making and distributing innovative products, primarily heat-not-burn traditional cigarettes and electronic cigarettes.

Nicandro Durante, chief executive of BAT, said tax-rate cut savings will help BAT pay for “a huge investment to allow us to roll out to at least 40 markets tobacco for heated products, and several others for vaping, in 2018.”

Currently, BAT’s heat-not-burn cigarette named glo is in five international markets — Canada, Japan, Russia, South Korea and Switzerland.

Durante has said BAT’s preference is to make products in or near the markets in which they are sold.

That could lead to a significant boost to the Tobaccoville plant workforce if BAT can gain U.S. Food and Drug Administration approval to bring in some additional traditional cigarettes and innovative products, such as glo. — March 7, 2018 Winston-Salem Journal article excerpt

Old Dominion Freight Line Inc. (Thomasville, North Carolina) – $500 bonuses for all 22,000 employees:

“I am excited to share a bit of good holiday cheer with you today. The President has signed a historic tax reform bill that should reduce OD’s taxes and also generate growth for the U.S. economy. We expect that the anticipated improvement in the economy will create additional opportunities for use to WIN market share and grow our Company more than originally anticipated. As we have said many times before,  however, our ability to successfully grow the Company is centered on each member of  the OD Family performing at his or her very best to deliver SUPERIOR SERVICE to our customers!

 As a way of saying THANK YOU for continuing to deliver best-in-class service, and to    share part of our anticipated 2017 tax savings with you, a one-time bonus payment for      non-executives will be included in your paycheck this week.” – Old Dominion CEO David Congdon

Bank of America (Charlotte, North Carolina) — $1,000 bonuses:

“Beginning in 2018, we will see benefits from the tax reform, too, in the form of lower corporate tax rates.

In the spirit of shared success, we intend to pass some of those benefits along immediately. U.S. employees making up to $150,000 per year in total compensation – about 145,000 teammates – will receive a one-time bonus of $1,000 by year-end.” – CEO Brian Moynihan

IAT Insurance Group (Raleigh, North Carolina) — $3,000 bonuses for 685 non-executive employees:

 IAT Insurance Group ownership and management announced today the company will pay

a $3,000 bonus to all non-executive employees on January 15, 2018.  The additional bonus comes in response to the newly passed tax reform bill – the tax savings will be shared with approximately 700 employees. IAT Insurance Group is a privately held company owned by the Kellogg family. – Dec. 21 2017, IAT Insurance Group press release

Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina (Durham, North Carolina) – $1,000 bonuses to approximately 4,700 employees; $40 million in charitable contributions:

North Carolina’s largest health insurer said Thursday its windfall from the new federal tax cut will hold down rate increases in the future, but this year it will use it to give charities $40 million and pay employees a $1,000 bonus.

Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina said it will give away millions this year for health initiatives and give bonuses to about 4,700 employees.”  — Feb. 22 2018, Winston-Salem Journal article excerpt  

RDR Inc. (branch office in Southern Pines, North Carolina) – bonuses of up to $1,000 for all 125 employees:

RDR, Inc. A professional services firm headquartered in Centreville, Virginia with a Branch office in Southern Pines, North Carolina and individual employees nationwide is announcing that it will be paying bonuses to each of its 125 employees as a result of anticipated 2018 tax savings from the recently passed Tax Cuts and Jobs act of 2017.

It has been said that all U.S. workers would see financial benefits in February from the tax cuts that passed in December and we are determined to make this true for all our employees right now! – Jan. 19 2018,  RDR, Inc. press release excerpts

Ally Financial Inc. (Charlotte, North Carolina) — $1,000 bonuses:

The company plans to use some of the tax savings to pay a $1,000 bonus to its employees, and to increase its charitable contributions by around $6 million. – Jan. 30, 2018 American Banker article excerpt

Duke Energy Carolinas (Charlotte, North Carolina) – The utilities are passing along tax savings to customers:

Duke Energy today outlined its proposal to pass along savings from the new federal tax law to its North Carolina customers in ways that will lower bills in the near term and help offset increases in the future.

Duke Energy Carolinas (DEC) and Duke Energy Progress (DEP) offered the proposal in a filing with the North Carolina Utilities Commission (NCUC) today. Duke Energy has maintained customers’ rates significantly below the national average for many decades while providing safe, reliable and increasingly clean energy for North Carolinians.

“This is a unique opportunity that allows us to reduce customer bills in the short term while also helping to offset future rate increases,” said David Fountain, Duke Energy’s North Carolina president. “With a balanced approach, our customers can benefit from a reduction in the corporate income tax rate, while we continue to make smart investments on behalf of our customers.” – Feb. 1, 2018 Duke Energy press release

Duke Energy Progress (Charlotte, North Carolina) – The utilities are passing along tax savings to customers:

Duke Energy today outlined its proposal to pass along savings from the new federal tax law to its North Carolina customers in ways that will lower bills in the near term and help offset increases in the future.

Duke Energy Carolinas (DEC) and Duke Energy Progress (DEP) offered the proposal in a filing with the North Carolina Utilities Commission (NCUC) today. Duke Energy has maintained customers’ rates significantly below the national average for many decades while providing safe, reliable and increasingly clean energy for North Carolinians.

“This is a unique opportunity that allows us to reduce customer bills in the short term while also helping to offset future rate increases,” said David Fountain, Duke Energy’s North Carolina president. “With a balanced approach, our customers can benefit from a reduction in the corporate income tax rate, while we continue to make smart investments on behalf of our customers.” – Feb. 1, 2018 Duke Energy press release

Apple (Apple stores in NC: Raleigh, Greensboro, Durham, Charlotte Northlake Mall, Charlotte SouthPark) — $2,500 employee bonuses in the form of restricted stock units; Nationwide, $30 billion in additional capital expenditures over five years; 20,000 new employees will be hired; increased support of coding education and science, technology, engineering, arts, and math; increased support for U.S. manufacturing.

AT&T — $1,000 bonuses for 6,179 North Carolina employees; Nationwide, $1 billion increase in capital expenditures:

Today, Congress approved legislation representing the first comprehensive tax reform in a generation. The President is expected to sign the bill in the coming days.

Once tax reform is signed into law, AT&T* plans to invest an additional $1 billion in the United States in 2018 and pay a special $1,000 bonus to more than 200,000 AT&T U.S. employees — all union-represented, non-management and front-line managers. If the President signs the bill before Christmas, employees will receive the bonus over the holidays.

“Congress, working closely with the President, took a monumental step to bring taxes paid by U.S. businesses in line with the rest of the industrialized world,” said Randall Stephenson, AT&T chairman and CEO. “This tax reform will drive economic growth and create good-paying jobs. In fact, we will increase our U.S. investment and pay a special bonus to our U.S. employees.”

Since 2012, AT&T has invested more in the United States than any other public company. Every $1 billion in capital invested in the telecom industry creates about 7,000 jobs for American workers, research shows. — Dec. 20, 2017 AT&T Inc. press release

Cintas Corporation (Multiple locations in North Carolina) — $1,000 bonuses for employees of at least a year, $500 for employees of less than a year.https://www.facebook.com/plugins/quote.php?app_id=&channel=https%3A%2F%2Fstaticxx.facebook.com%2Fconnect%2Fxd_arbiter%2Fr%2FlY4eZXm_YWu.js%3Fversion%3D42%23cb%3Df3ed420c667e55%26domain%3Dwww.atr.org%26origin%3Dhttps%253A%252F%252Fwww.atr.org%252Ff1ae0ec7aa93b78%26relation%3Dparent.parent&container_width=567&href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.atr.org%2Flist&locale=en_US&sdk=joey

Chipotle Mexican Grill (Multiple locations in North Carolina) – Bonuses ranging from $250 to $1,000; increased employee benefits; $50 million investment in existing restaurants.

Comcast (Multiple locations in North Carolina) — $1,000 bonuses; nationwide, at least $50 billion investment in infrastructure in next five years.

Fifth Third Bancorp (55 locations in North Carolina) – $1,000 bonuses; base wage will rise to $15.

Home Depot — 40 locations in North Carolina, bonuses for all hourly employees, up to $1,000

Lowe’s — In NC alone, 24,000 employees at 112 stores and seven distribution centers — Employees will receive bonuses of up to $1,000 based on length of service; expanded benefits and maternity/parental leave; $5,000 of adoption assistance.

Lowe’s will follow rival Home Depot in giving thousands of its hourly employees a one-time bonus of up to $1,000 due to new tax legislation, according to an internal company memo reviewed by CNBC on Wednesday.

The bonuses will be based on an employee’s length of service with Lowe’s, and more than 260,000 part- and full-time individuals are set to receive the payouts, the company said. Lowe’s declined to comment on how the bonuses would be broken out based on tenure.

Effective May 1, Lowe’s will also be expanding its benefits package for full-time workers to include paid maternity leave for 10 weeks, paid parental leave for two weeks, adoption assistance of up to $5,000, and faster eligibility for health benefits, the memo said.

“We’ll continue to make investments to improve the employee and customer experience,” Lowe’s wrote to its workers.

The company said it will provide more details on those investments in the coming weeks. Lowe’s is set to report fourth-quarter earnings Feb. 28
. – Jan. 31, 2018 CNBC article excerpt

Ryder (Twenty-two locations in North Carolina) – Tax reform bonuses.

Starbucks Coffee Company (Multiple locations in North Carolina) –$500 stock grants for all retail employees, $2,000 stock grants for store managers, and varying plan and support center employee stock grants. Nationally, 8,000 new retail jobs; an additional wage increase this year, totaling approximately $120 million in wage increases, increased sick time benefits and parental leave.

U-Haul (Multiple locations in North Carolina) – $1,200 bonuses for full-time employees, $500 for part-time employees.

Wal-Mart – 194 locations in North Carolina, Walmart employees are receiving tax reform bonuses of up to $1,000; Nationally, base wage increase for all hourly employees to $11; expanded maternity and parental leave; $5,000 for adoption expenses.

Wells Fargo – 293 locations in North Carolina; raised base wage from $13.50 to $15.00 per hour; nationally, $400 million in charitable donations for 2018; $100 million increased capital investment over next three years.

Note: If you know of other North Carolina examples, please email John Kartch at [email protected]

The running nationwide list of companies can be found at www.atr.org/list