Taxes

Americans drove 9 billion fewer miles in May this year over last year. As drivers cut back, the income from gas taxes which fund highway repairs and maintenance is dropping, too. Amy Scott reports.

With Americans reeling from skyrocketing gas prices, the last thing Congress wants to do is raise the gas tax. But as Jeremy Hobson reports, lawmakers are facing that very unpopular decision.

Churches usually don't have to pay property taxes, because the IRS considers them nonprofit causes. But when congregations meet in places that offer other services, the lines can be blurry. Ashley Milne-Tyte reports.

New York's cigarette tax moved up to $2.75 per pack today, a move officials hope will drive as many as 140,000 smokers to quit. Jill Barshay gets some smokers' reactions.

If you gamble, your winnings are taxable and your losses are deductible. But commentator and tax attorney Conrad Teitell says good luck trying to get Uncle Sam to accept those deductions.

Tax-rebate checks go out Friday as part of the $150 billion economic stimulus effort. And retailers are eager for a cut of your cash. We went looking for some of the more unusual ways people are planning to spend their rebates. Kai Ryssdal reports.

New York state is requiring online retailers to charge sales tax if they have marketing agreements with businesses in the state. It's prompted an Amazon lawsuit. But commentator Michael Mazerov says Internet retailers should play by the same rules as the shop on the corner.

A move that would raise taxes for multinational companies in Britain has stirred up a fury. Giant advertising firm WPP says it may pull its headquarters out of Britain. Others could do the same. From London, Stephen Beard reports.

Italy is recovering from a questionable experiment in transparency. Italians were shocked to discover, yesterday, that the government had put their tax statements online -- everyone's tax statements. Megan Williams reports from Rome.

Economics Correspondent Chris Farrell thinks raising the gas tax would not only change driving behavior, it would encourage research and development into alternative and more efficient fuels. He, by the way, isn't running for office.