North Carolina: tax incentives, credits and advisors
North Carolina excludes most of the value of solar electric equipment from property tax, which matters for owners of larger systems.
Facts checked 2026-10-26 against the official sources linked below.
State incentives
Renewable energy items we cover in depth; the full catalog by category follows.
Solar energy electric system property tax exclusion
Eighty percent of the appraised value of a solar energy electric system, meaning equipment used directly and exclusively to convert solar energy to electricity, is excluded from property tax.
Below are the major North Carolina incentives we could verify against an official source, grouped by type. This is not an exhaustive list of every state program. Credits flagged Transferable can be sold or assigned to another taxpayer under state rules; see transferable state tax credits. Each row shows the date we last checked it.
North Carolina film and media incentives
| Incentive | Type | Who qualifies | Amount, rate or cap | Transferable | Refundable | Status | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Film and Entertainment Grant | Grant (cash) | Productions meeting minimum in-state spend (e.g. $1.5 million for a feature film; $500,000 per episode for a series) | Rebates up to 25% of qualified expenses; caps of $15 million per TV season, $7 million per feature film, $250,000 per commercial | No (grant) | No (grant) | Active | NC Commerce, Film Industry Grants Last verified 2026-10-26 |
North Carolina historic and building rehabilitation incentives
| Incentive | Type | Who qualifies | Amount, rate or cap | Transferable | Refundable | Status | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Historic rehabilitation tax credit (income-producing) | Credit | Taxpayers allowed the federal credit for rehabilitating an income-producing certified historic structure in North Carolina | 15% of qualified rehabilitation expenditures up to $10 million and 10% from $10 million to $20 million, plus 5% bonuses for development tier 1 or 2 areas, targeted investment sites or education use; maximum $4.5 million | Not stated | Not stated | Expires for expenditures incurred on or after January 1, 2030 (property must be placed in service by January 1, 2032) | N.C. General Statutes Chapter 105, Article 3L Last verified 2026-10-26 |
| Historic rehabilitation tax credit (non-income-producing) | Credit | Taxpayers spending at least $10,000 rehabilitating a non-income-producing certified historic structure, such as a home | 15% of rehabilitation expenses, up to $22,500 per property | Not stated | Not stated | Expires for expenses incurred on or after January 1, 2030 | N.C. General Statutes Chapter 105, Article 3L Last verified 2026-10-26 |
| Mill rehabilitation tax credit | Credit | Taxpayers rehabilitating eligible mill sites with at least $3 million of expenditures | 40% of qualified expenditures in tier 1-3 areas, 30% in tier 4-5 areas; 9-year carryforward | Not stated | No | Expired for projects whose eligibility application was submitted on or after January 1, 2011; carryforwards remain | NCDOR, Credit for Mill Rehabilitation (Article 3H) Last verified 2026-10-26 |
Advisors located in North Carolina
No advisors in our directory list a North Carolina location yet. Browse all advisors, or list your firm.
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Common questions
Is solar equipment taxed as property in North Carolina?
80% of the appraised value of a solar energy electric system is excluded from property tax; the remaining 20% can be taxed.
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