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Press Releases

New Study | Stricter Interest Expense Limits Costs Half Million Jobs

Failing to Address EBIT-Based Limitation Harms Manufacturers’ Competitiveness

Washington, D.C. – Following the release of an analysis on the economic impact of failing to reverse a stricter limitation on deductions for interest on business loans that took effect earlier this year, National Association of Manufacturers Managing Vice President of Tax and Domestic Economic Policy Chris Netram released the following statement.

Key Findings:

The stricter EBIT-based 163(j) interest expense limitation before market adjustments would cost:

  • 467,000 jobs;
  • $23.4 billion of employee compensation; and
  • $43.8 billion in GDP.

“Manufacturers are already facing incredible economic headwinds due to increased input costs, rising interest rates, labor shortages and snarled supply chains. This analysis shows that failing to reverse the damaging change to the tax treatment of interest on business loans disproportionately harms manufacturers at a perilous time—costing hundreds of thousands of jobs and billions of dollars in economic growth.

“America is an international outlier in imposing such a strict interest expense limitation. With nearly half a million American jobs at stake, Congress must act by year’s end to reverse the stricter EBIT-based limitation and allow manufacturers to continue to invest for growth.”

EY’s Quantitative Economics and Statistics group prepared the analysis.

Background:

Prior to 2022, the interest expense limitation was calculated based on a company’s earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA). This year, a stricter limitation based on a company’s earnings before interest and tax (EBIT) took effect. By excluding depreciation and amortization from the calculation, the stricter limitation increases the tax burden on manufacturers that make investments in long-lived capital equipment.

-NAM-

The National Association of Manufacturers is the largest manufacturing association in the United States, representing small and large manufacturers in every industrial sector and in all 50 states. Manufacturing employs more than 12.8 million men and women, contributes $2.77 trillion to the U.S. economy annually and accounts for 58% of private-sector research and development. The NAM is the powerful voice of the manufacturing community and the leading advocate for a policy agenda that helps manufacturers compete in the global economy and create jobs across the United States. For more information about the NAM or to follow us on Twitter and Facebook, please visit www.nam.org.

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