Tax breaks

The cost of an education has never been higher. But by taking advantage of some tax benefits, you can at least put a small dent in some of those bills. Which of that complicated menu of tax benefits applies to you? DailyFinance breaks it down.

At tax time, being a parent comes with certain perks: the Child Tax Credit, the Child and Dependent Care Credit, a bigger Earned Income Tax Credit, among others. But while single parents have many of the same breaks as married parents, there are some they miss out on.

It's bad enough the stock market has been beating up on most of our 401(k)s lately. Now, legislators and big thinkers are debating a variety of proposals to reduce the tax benefits of saving in 401(k)-type plans. And the results could be bad for America's rich and poor alike.

At the start of a new week, all eyes are on Greece. E.U. finance ministers postponed agreement on a bailout until they see proof that its government will follow through on austerity measures. Meanwhile, some big U.S. firms are pushing for a generous tax holiday.

In today's shaky real estate market, more and more homeowners are becoming landlords, often as an unexpected necessity. Whether you're renting out your old house, an investment property or even a single room, being the landlord means tax breaks -- and you should take every one you can.

The big solar panel installer has announced its second East Coast deal in a month: It's buying the residential solar business of Vermont-based groSolar, after picking up Maryland's Clean Currents. And SolarCity isn't the only West Coast solar player heading East for growth.

A parade of Republicans immediately lined up to attack the president's proposed budget this week, claiming the plan falls short of making a real difference. They're right. And that's good, because really deep reductions are the last thing the economy needs right now.

Life is about change, so we might as well embrace it. Looking into our crystal ball, here are a dozen things to look forward to in 2011. It should prove to be a very interesting (and entertaining) year. 1. Oprah Launches Her Own Network After 25 years of toiling in syndication for a few measily...

President Barack Obama has cut a deal with Republicans to extend Bush-era tax cuts for two years and unemployment benefits for 13 months. But the plan is already drawing fire from Obama's own liberal supporters.

The Senate failed to pass a bill that would have extended tax cuts for all but the richest Americans on Saturday, falling nine votes short of the two-thirds majority needed. This means that all tax cuts will likely be extended.