Figure J

The Trump tax cuts didn't increase investment—but they did increase corporate profit hoarding

Undistributed domestic corporate profits as a percent of domestic corporate gross value added, 2002Q2–2018Q3
Quarter Undistributed profits as a percent of corporate gross value added
2002Q2 3.2%
2002Q3 3.7%
2002Q4 4.0%
2003Q1 4.4%
2003Q2 3.5%
2003Q3 4.2%
2003Q4 3.8%
2004Q1 4.4%
2004Q2 4.8%
2004Q3 5.0%
2004Q4 2.9%
2005Q1 5.1%
2005Q2 6.0%
2005Q3 8.0%
2005Q4 9.7%
2006Q1 4.7%
2006Q2 4.4%
2006Q3 3.9%
2006Q4 2.0%
2007Q1 1.7%
2007Q2 2.1%
2007Q3 0.7%
2007Q4 -0.1%
2008Q1 0.2%
2008Q2 -0.1%
2008Q3 0.4%
2008Q4 -1.5%
2009Q1 1.9%
2009Q2 3.1%
2009Q3 5.7%
2009Q4 6.1%
2010Q1 6.3%
2010Q2 6.3%
2010Q3 7.2%
2010Q4 6.8%
2011Q1 4.5%
2011Q2 5.7%
2011Q3 5.9%
2011Q4 6.6%
2012Q1 6.3%
2012Q2 6.2%
2012Q3 5.8%
2012Q4 3.1%
2013Q1 5.5%
2013Q2 3.2%
2013Q3 3.8%
2013Q4 3.6%
2014Q1 2.7%
2014Q2 3.8%
2014Q3 4.3%
2014Q4 4.0%
2015Q1 3.0%
2015Q2 3.1%
2015Q3 2.6%
2015Q4 1.1%
2016Q1 1.8%
2016Q2 2.1%
2016Q3 2.1%
2016Q4 2.2%
2017Q1 2.3%
2017Q2 2.2%
2017Q3 3.1%
2017Q4 2.6%
2018Q1 13.7%  
2018Q2 9.3%
2018Q3 7.2%
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Percent change in real nonresidential fixed investment, 2002Q2–2018Q3
Quarter Real nonresidential fixed investment
2002Q2 -1.1%
2002Q3 -0.3%
2002Q4 -1.3%
2003Q1 0.5%
2003Q2 2.8%
2003Q3 2.1%
2003Q4 1.3%
2004Q1 -1.0%
2004Q2 2.5%
2004Q3 2.9%
2004Q4 2.1%
2005Q1 1.5%
2005Q2 1.6%
2005Q3 2.1%
2005Q4 0.8%
2006Q1 3.4%
2006Q2 1.7%
2006Q3 1.7%
2006Q4 1.1%
2007Q1 1.8%
2007Q2 2.2%
2007Q3 1.6%
2007Q4 1.5%
2008Q1 0.4%
2008Q2 0.2%
2008Q3 -1.9%
2008Q4 -5.8%
2009Q1 -7.5%
2009Q2 -3.0%
2009Q3 -0.6%
2009Q4 0.7%
2010Q1 0.7%
2010Q2 3.3%
2010Q3 2.7%
2010Q4 1.9%
2011Q1 -0.1%
2011Q2 2.6%
2011Q3 4.7%
2011Q4 2.6%
2012Q1 2.6%
2012Q2 2.2%
2012Q3 -0.3%
2012Q4 1.1%
2013Q1 1.3%
2013Q2 0.3%
2013Q3 1.7%
2013Q4 2.0%
2014Q1 1.3%
2014Q2 2.3%
2014Q3 2.1%
2014Q4 0.5%
2015Q1 -0.4%
2015Q2 0.5%
2015Q3 0.3%
2015Q4 -1.0%
2016Q1 -0.3%
2016Q2 0.9%
2016Q3 1.1%
2016Q4 0.0%
2017Q1 2.3%
2017Q2 1.8%
2017Q3 0.8%
2017Q4 1.2%
2018Q1 2.8% 
2018Q2 2.1%
2018Q3 0.6%
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Source: EPI analysis of data from Tables 1.1.6 and 1.14 from the National Income and Product Accounts (NIPA) from the Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA). TCJA stands for the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017. Shaded areas denote recessions.

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