Louisiana Gov. Kathleen Blanco asked lawmakers for help in rebuilding the state devastated by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita.

In a ruling that may affect the future of state job creation strategies across the nation, the Supreme Court will rule on how states can use tax incentives to entice large concerns such as car companies to make capital investments.

Wolters Kluwer Corporate & Financial Services will provide the Internal Revenue Service with online access to capital gain and loss information on publicly traded securities.

The Internal Revenue Service announced relief for taxpayers affected by Hurricane Rita, including many of the deadline reprieves and fee waivers enacted in the immediate aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.

After years of procedural delays, the trial between investment company Berkshire Hathway Inc. and the Internal Revenue Service has begun over the legality of tax deductions taken by the company in the late 1980s.

The Nelson A. Rockefeller Institute of Government issued a report detailing a 13.3 percent average increase in state tax revenues across the country.

It was a deal years in the making, though industry observers say that it didn't have to be.In striking an agreement to escape a potentially fatal criminal indictment for its sale of legally questionable tax shelters from 1996 to 2002, KPMG will pay a $456 million fine to the federal government and essentially spend the next 16 months on probation. The firm has also agreed to close its tax business for high-net-worth individuals within six months.