North Carolina Research and Development Tax Credit (Discontinued)
North Carolina Department of Revenue
Discontinued — no new credits available
Repealed January 2016 — no new R&D credits available in North Carolina
North Carolina's Article 3B Research and Development Tax Credits (G.S. 105-129.50 through 105-129.55) were repealed by Session Law 2013-316 (House Bill 998), effective for tax years beginning on or after January 1, 2016. The credit had offered a tiered rate on qualified research expenses (QREs) meeting the federal IRC §41 definition, applied against the North Carolina corporate income tax. No new credits may be earned for tax years beginning 2016 or later. Pre-2016 credits with unexpired carryforwards (15-year carryforward period) may still appear on returns through approximately 2030 for companies that had accrued credit balances under the old law.
- Funding type
- Tax Credit
- Level
- State
- Amount
- No longer available. Prior to repeal: tiered credit rate on North Carolina-located QREs against NC corporate income tax. Pre-2016 credit balances with remaining carryforward may still offset NC tax for years through approximately 2030.
- Realistic amount
- Zero for new claims. Residual value only for companies with pre-2016 credit carryforwards still within the 15-year windo…
- Deadline
- Discontinued — no application accepted
- Status
- discontinued
- States
- NC
- Payment model
- tax offset
Who qualifies
- No new eligibility — program discontinued effective January 1, 2016
- Entities with pre-2016 unused credit carryforwards may continue to apply those balances against NC corporate income tax for up to 15 years from the year the credit was earned
NC repealed Article 3B R&D credits in 2013 (effective 2016). Pre-2016 carryforwards survive up to 15 years — consult your NC corporate return schedules if you had prior accruals.
Deadline & timing
The credit was repealed by SL 2013-316 effective for tax years beginning on or after January 1, 2016. No new claims may be filed. Entities with pre-2016 carryforward balances should consult their tax advisor and track usage on the applicable NC corporate tax return schedules.
Related programs
Last reviewed 2026. GrantCompass is an independent funding-discovery tool and is not affiliated with any government agency. Always confirm details on the official program page.