The sweeping corporate tax cuts Donald Trump signed into law almost a year ago have had little or no effect on most US companies’ hiring and investment plans, according to a business survey released on Monday.
The National Association for Business Economics found buoyant conditions in the third quarter of 2018, with its members reporting rising sales and improved profit margins, but reported that the Republican tax reform “has not broadly impacted hiring and investment plans”.
The survey, conducted between September 26 and October 11, adds to a growing body of evidence that much of the windfall from tax reform has been spent on share buybacks rather than investment, jobs or research and development.