The NC legislature has created a new tax credit for NC Businesses that will refund some of the unemployment taxes they have had to pay on NC workers. Once the forms are finalized we'll have to see how this works out, but it could offer some real benefit to NC Businesses who have been hit hard by increasing unemployment rates.

"Effective for the 2010 and 2011 taxable years, small businesses with cumulative gross
receipts from business during the taxable year not exceeding $1,000,000 may claim a
refundable income tax credit equal to 25 percent of contributions made during the taxable
year to the State Unemployment Insurance Fund for wages paid for employment in North
Carolina." Source

G.S. 105-129.16J.
Temporary unemployment insurance refundable tax credit:
A new section was added to allow a tax credit for small businesses that make
contributions to the State Unemployment Insurance Fund with respect to wages paid for
employment in this State. A small business is defined as a business whose cumulative
gross receipts from the business activity for the tax year do not exceed one million
dollars ($1,000,000). The amount of tax credit allowed is 25% of the qualified
contributions to the State Unemployment Insurance Fund and applies to taxable years
2010 and 2011 only.
This credit may be claimed only against corporate and individual income taxes. If the
credit exceeds the amount of tax for the taxable year reduced by the sum of all credits
allowable, the excess is refundable. The refundable excess is governed by the
provisions governing a refund of an overpayment by the taxpayer of the tax imposed in
Article 4. In computing the amount of tax against which multiple credits are allowed,
nonrefundable credits are subtracted before refundable credits.