Headlines:  Provided by

Official: Obama backing research tax credits
[AP] - Seeking ways to spur economic growth ahead of the November elections, President Barack Obama will ask Congress to increase and permanently extend research and development tax credits for businesses, a White House official said Sunday.

NC governor seeks options for deep budget cuts
[AP] - North Carolina Gov. Beverly Perdue said Friday she plans to develop a budget proposal for the next two years that doesn't extend a temporary 1-cent sales tax increase approved a year ago to help close a deep fiscal hole.

Pa. Senate GOP writes Marcellus Shale tax bill
[AP] - State Senate Republicans have begun drafting legislation for a sweeping overhaul of Pennsylvania's oil and gas law that includes proposals for a new tax on the extraction of natural gas from the Marcellus Shale formation and limitations on municipal zoning that affects drilling.

NH's Ayotte got $10K from Tex. biz said to deceive
[AP] - New Hampshire Republican U.S. Senate candidate Kelly Ayotte - a former attorney general - received more than $10,000 from executives of a Texas company charged with deceptive trade practices.

Obama planning new package of economic aid
[AP] - Eager to jumpstart the economy ahead of crucial midterm elections, President Barack Obama said Friday he intends to unveil a new package of proposals, likely including tax cuts and targeted spending, to spark job growth.

Blunt, Carnahan differ on stimulus, bank bailout
[AP] - Republican Rep. Roy Blunt campaigns for Senate in a blue RV plastered with the message: "The choice is clear. Roy will fight for jobs."

'Crocodile Dundee' to return to US amid tax fray
[AP] - Actor Paul Hogan, star of the "Crocodile Dundee" movie trilogy, has been cleared to return home to the United States after he was barred last month from leaving Australia because of a disputed tax bill, his lawyer said Friday.

Italy Goes After Tax Dodgers
[BusinessWeek] - Only 0.2 percent of Italian taxpayers declare income of more than $250,000 a year. Berlusconi's government is now determined to recoup $13 billion in unpaid taxes

401(k) loan? It may make sense
[Bankrate.com] - New research suggests it may be worthwhile to use retirement money to pay off some types of debt.

More Dems buck plan to let taxes increase for rich
[AP] - Congress seems increasingly reluctant to let taxes go up, even on wealthier Americans. Worried about the fragile economy and their own upcoming elections, a growing number of Democrats are joining the rock-solid Republican opposition to President Barack Obama's plans to let some of the Bush administration's tax cuts expire.

H&R Block 1Q loss narrows despite revenue decline
[AP] - H&R Block Inc. on Thursday said its fiscal first-quarter loss narrowed by 2 percent as it reduced staffing and other expenses.

Nevada labor groups decry benefit cuts
[AP] - Nevada labor leaders and worker representatives Thursday condemned big cuts to public employee and retiree benefits and pledged to overhaul the state's tax system if lawmakers don't in the 2011 Legislature.

Bernanke: Shut down banks if they threaten system
[AP] - Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke told a panel investigating the financial crisis that regulators must be ready to shutter the largest institutions if they threaten to bring down the financial system.

Ark. revenues come in ahead of forecast, last year
[AP] - Arkansas' revenues topped expectations and were above last year's August figures, fueled by a spike in income and sales tax collections, state finance officials said Thursday.

5 Neb. cities will increase sales tax on Oct. 1
[AP] - Five Nebraska cities will increase their local sales taxes on October 1. Nebraska Tax Commissioner Doug Ewald says the sales tax will increase in Brainard, Clay Center, Howells, Randolph and David City.

No bank account? Get your tax refund on plastic
[AP] - A new Treasury Department program to give people without bank accounts faster access to their tax refunds will help some avoid costly short-term loans. But careless consumers could end up racking up fees and padding bank profits.

How to write off an unpaid business loan
[Bankrate.com] - You can use the loss to offset any capital gains you have in the year that the debt became worthless.

Whitman criticizes Schwarzenegger for budget delay
[AP] - Republican gubernatorial candidate Meg Whitman on Wednesday laid blame for California's budget impasse squarely on the shoulders of Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and legislative leaders.

Ohio couple guilty in $600,000 tax return scheme
[AP] - An Ohio couple has pleaded guilty in a $600,000 fraud that used stolen identities to file more than 100 false federal income tax returns.

Plastics company cancels job creation contract
[AP] - A plastics compounding company operating in eastern Texas has canceled its state job creation contract, joining other businesses that have quit or changed their pacts under the Texas Enterprise Fund.