NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WZTV) — The Tennessee Department of Revenue has released a list of corporations that received a combined $1.5 billion in tax refunds, sparking sharp criticism from community advocates and watchdog groups. The list includes global giants like Amazon, FedEx, Nissan, and Hankook — as well as Governor Bill Lee’s family business, Lee Company.
According to advocacy coalition Tennessee For All, nearly 16,000 companies were granted refunds. Although individual amounts were not disclosed, refunds categorized as “over $10,000” could average as much as $75,000 per business. Major corporations reportedly exploited subsidiary structures to secure multiple payouts. Nissan filed for refunds under six different subsidiaries, while FedEx used thirteen.
“I think most people will be infuriated,” said Angela Wynn, a Rutherford County parent and member of Public School Strong, a partner organization of Tennessee For All. “Instead of closing loopholes so families can get a break on groceries, the majority of legislators chose more corporate giveaways.”
Tennessee is one of just 13 states that taxes groceries, and advocates have long called for an end to the policy. Tennessee For All cited reports from 2022 and 2025 showing that over 60% of corporations paid zero in excise tax — the state’s version of corporate income tax — even as residents face some of the highest grocery tax rates in the country.
“We pay some of the highest taxes on groceries in the country and billion-dollar companies are paying nothing. And now they are getting tens of thousands in refunds. I can’t make that make sense,” said Beau Hawk, President of the Knoxville Central Labor Council, another coalition partner.
Efforts by Tennessee lawmakers to close corporate tax loopholes and eliminate the grocery tax have failed in recent legislative sessions. For the past two years, State Rep. Aftyn Behn and State Sen. Charlane Oliver have proposed bills that would implement a corporate minimum tax to fund grocery tax relief. Each time, Republican supermajorities blocked the measures.
Last year, a separate Republican-backed bill proposing vague tax cuts was criticized by members of their own party as a “pipedream,” according to Tennessee For All.
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