Taxes

Houston -- Roy Oswalt defeated Cincinnati for the 22nd time in his career Wednesday, carrying Houston to a 4-1 decision over the Reds.

With the real estate market in the doldrums and prices falling, many homeowners want to put a lid on their property tax assessments. Yet struggling local governments aren't in any hurry to mark down assessed values, especially in an area hit hard by the downturn. If you're in sticker shock over your recent assessment, here's a quick lesson on what to do about it.

L'alpe D’Huez, France -- Carlos Sastre won the 17th stage of the Tour de France by more than 2 minutes Wednesday, earning his first stage win in five years and the overall tour lead.

Beijing -- When it comes to U.S. Olympic basketball, it is no longer about extending a streak.

A dividend is?a portion of a company's earnings that the firm pays directly to its shareholders. If The Tattoo Advertising Co. (Ticker: YOWCH) is earning roughly $4 in profit per share each year, it might decide to issue $1?per share annually to shareholders, then use the rest of the money to help build the business. If so, it will probably pay out $0.25 per share every three months.

Brussels -- Germany and various Scandinavian countries opposed French and Italian suggestions to use value-added taxes to lower fuel prices, officials said.

Princeton, N.J. -- Rebate checks sent to U.S. taxpayers have done little to convince consumers that the economy is doing well, Gallup researchers said Thursday.

In May 2003, President Bush signed into law the Jobs and Growth Tax Relief Reconciliation Act (JGTRRA), which reduced the tax rate on qualified corporate dividends and long-term capital gains to 15% (in most cases). Without an act of Congress, however, JGTRRA will not last beyond 2010.

The market was not very kind as this year began. In the dawning months of 2008, the S&P 500 index continued a drop that began last fall, before recently recovering. While the market overall is down only 2% year to date, many individual stocks have suffered worse.

We've come to expect the Federal Reserve to ride to the rescue and shore up financial markets. But yesterday, similar help came from an unusual source: the Supreme Court.

Brussels -- Finance ministers from the European Union have agreed to rewrite rules on savings tax in an effort to curtail tax havens, EU's tax commissioner said Friday.

Want to keep the planet and your portfolio green? The Fool shows you how in our special series on Earth-friendly investing.

What could be better than saving on energy costs by making energy-efficient improvements to your home? Getting Uncle Sam to pay for it.

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