WASHINGTON - The Labor Department will release the unemployment numbers for February at 8:30 a.m. EST today. Economists expect an increase of 220,000 in payrolls and see the jobless rate holding at 5.2 percent.

WASHINGTON - Economists expect an increase of 225,000 in non-farm payroll jobs in March and a drop in the unemployment rate to 5.3 percent when the Labor Department releases new unemployment numbers at 8:30 a.m. this morning.

Nearly 160 million workers will benefit from the extension of the reduced payroll tax rate that has been in effect for 2011, according to a news release from the Internal Revenue Service.

A federal judge is blocking state lawmakers from imposing new restrictions on payroll deductions from the paychecks of unionized employees.

The Suns could be paying a luxury tax of more than $2 million this season.

The Yankees have no equal — in spending, not in winning. Even before their latest spending spree, the Yankees finished 2008 with a record payroll of $222.5 million, according to figures sent to clubs in recent days by the commissioner’s office.

ATLANTA - The Suns aren't getting enough bang for the buck.

The following information should not be a surprise to anyone: A recent AARP article titled “What an Outrage” tells it like it is. They report that at least 3,700 businesses that received government contracts or grants under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 are delinquent on a whopping $750 million plus in unpaid corporate income taxes, unemployment, payroll and excise taxes according to the Government Accountability Office. And that’s probably a low-ball number as it doesn’t take into account those businesses that did not even submit a tax return.

Gov. Janet Napolitano and key lawmakers are crafting a deal to give some Arizona corporations a huge tax break — but only if one of the companies first invest $1 billion in the state.

The Week magazine recently published a very interesting article titled, "Tax dodgers on the federal payroll: By the numbers."

SAN JOSE, Calif. - As U.S. companies shift jobs to low-paid workers in developing nations, a growing number of economists and politicians worry that offshore outsourcing could damage the nation’s fiscal health by draining tax coffers.

Debate on the death tax is alive and well in the U.S. Senate race. Republican incumbent Jon Kyl and Democratic challenger Jim Pederson both want the estate tax changed to help smallbusiness owners pass along their businesses to succeeding generations.

I'm sure by now that most everyone has heard about General Electric not paying one red nickel of income taxes on more than $6 billion dollars in earnings for 2010. And, I bet that most conservatives reading this commentary are anticipating me to brow beat GE and other corporations for being tax "deadbeats" by not paying their fair share. Well, hang on to your hats, because I'm not going there. In fact, it is my opinion that any taxation of income or earnings in a capitalistic economy is downright, well, un-American.

I'm sure by now that most everyone has heard about General Electric not paying one red nickel of income taxes on more than $6 billion dollars in earnings for 2010. And, I bet that most conservatives reading this commentary are anticipating me to brow beat GE and other corporations for being tax "deadbeats" by not paying their fair share. Well, hang on to your hats, because I'm not going there. In fact, it is my opinion that any taxation of income or earnings in a capitalistic economy is downright, well, un-American.

A state senator has come up with a new twist for a tax break long sought by multi-state corporations with manufacturing plants in Arizona that reminds us Republicans aren’t always as supportive of free markets as they claim to be.

It’s your money.

A Mesa dentist is facing up to five years in prison for failing to pay his taxes, as well as his office’s payroll taxes for employees, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

Three executives of a former Mesa payroll servicing company were indicted last week on federal charges of fraud and tax evasion.

The Gilbert Town Council appears to have found a way to hire more police officers and open fire stations on time without raising taxes.

Two state legislators want to expand what constitutes a conflict of interest under regulations that govern when lawmakers can - and cannot - vote on certain issues.

Tempe’s sales tax revenue through the fiscal year’s first quarter is down 8.1 percent compared with the same period last year, according to numbers released by the city on Friday.

Without a vote to spare, the House of Representatives approved a controversial measure Monday that would provide $150 million or more in tax breaks to a handful of multistate corporations.

Many significant provisions of the landmark Economic Growth and Tax Relief Reconciliation Act of 2001 (EGTRRA) are scheduled to “sunset” (expire) at the end of 2012, which would result in significant tax law changes. If it feels as though we’ve been here before, that’s because we have; the same thing was scheduled to occur at the end of 2010, but Congress voted to extend most of the effected provisions. Will it extend them again? Who knows? That’s why you may want to consider taking steps between now and year-end that could dramatically improve your financial picture — regardless of what Congress does.

Many significant provisions of the landmark Economic Growth and Tax Relief Reconciliation Act of 2001 (EGTRRA) are scheduled to “sunset” (expire) at the end of 2012, which would result in significant tax law changes. If it feels as though we’ve been here before, that’s because we have; the same thing was scheduled to occur at the end of 2010, but Congress voted to extend most of the effected provisions. Will it extend them again? Who knows? That’s why you may want to consider taking steps between now and year-end that could dramatically improve your financial picture — regardless of what Congress does.