Taxes Blog

Researchers at the University of Florida say that an increase in alcohol taxes would mean a 35 percent reduction in alcohol-related deaths. And the life-extending benefits of hiking alcohol taxes don’t end there, according to “Effects of Alcohol Tax and Price Policies on Morbidity and Mortality,” published in the American Journal of Public Health. Higher

You’ve probably heard by now that the Senate has decided not to vote on the expiring Bush tax cuts. There are lots of reasons: the upcoming Nov. 2 election, dissension within the Democratic ranks as to which  tax cuts to keep, the upcoming Nov. 2 election, the lack of time to get a bill passed

Just in case you didn’t know it, the mortgage interest tax deduction is safe. Really? This is news?  No. But then neither was the headline of a press release on a National Association of Home Builders recent survey. The industry group message showed up in my e-mail inbox proclaiming, “Voters Warn: Don’t Mess With the Mortgage Interest

Colorado lawmakers on both sides of the political aisle are worried about taxes. In that state, though, the concern is that voters this November will approve three ballot measures that will cut taxes. Amendment 60 would require Colorado’s school districts to cut property taxes. The state would then be forced to come up with ways

While I was letting Congress know that it needs to stop encouraging taxpayers to cheat, a Senator decided it was time to make sure his colleagues are properly paying the IRS. Sen. Tom Coburn, R-Okla., has introduced a bill that would require U.S. lawmakers to disclose any money they owe in delinquent taxes and to have

Dear Representatives and Senators, Bankrate Taxes Blog reader Jackie has a message for you: I did take the original tax credit and … felt cheated when the revised 2009 credit was passed. This is especially true since I closed just 11 days too soon to take the revised credit. So I will dutifully pay back

That headline isn’t anything new. There’s been a ton of confusion about the first-time homebuyer tax credit, which has been revised what seems like a million times since it was created back in 2008. OK, it’s only been four times, but who’s really counting? The tax break is supposed to come to an end this

If you’re a late-night cable TV viewer like me, you’ve seen the ads: ”Owe the IRS? No worries! We can settle your tax debt for pennies on the dollar!” Such tax resolution claims should raise suspicions for two reasons. First, if this is such a good deal, why are they advertising during 2 a.m. Matlock reruns? Couldn’t

Two more state sales tax holidays are now underway. Louisiana’s Second Amendment Tax Holiday begins today, Friday, Sept. 3, and runs through Sunday, Sept. 5. Although it was touted as a constitutional statement during last year’s inaugural tax-free weekend, this year the state is positioning the event as simply three tax-saving shopping days for hunters.

I no longer live in hurricane country, but I still watch the weather reports closely. Go through a couple (or more) of these storms and even if you don’t suffer major damgae, the memories linger. It seems, though, that folks along the coasts tend to get complacent. Please don’t. Hurricane Earl might not make landfall