Tax Carnival #39 is Up!

Thanks to Kay Bell for another great tax carnival.

Appropriately named The Dog Days of Summer, this week’s carnival features some great posts, such as…

Andrea of Queercents wonders, “Should we be able to claim pets as dependents?” Check out her thoughts in Reducing Pet Costs: Tax Deductible Pets?

Dave warns Donating Clothing? Beware For-Profit Drop Boxes. It’s posted at Money Under 30.

For your viewing pleasure, Overlooked Tax Deductions, A Photo Essay, presented by Silicon Valley Blogger and posted at The Digerati Life.

And Ebiz Tax Tip’s own contribution, IM Courses May Be Tax Deductible.

Enjoy!

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Key Provisions in The Housing and Economic Recovery Act of 2008

On July 30, 2008, President Bush signed H.R. 3221, the Housing and Economic Recovery Act of 2008 (the “Act”).

The Housing Act is intended to revamp the housing finance industry, encourage home ownership and help prevent foreclosures. Below is a summary of some of the tax provisions in the bill that will affect current and future home owners:

* The Hope for Homeowners Program: The Act creates a new Federal Housing Authority (FHA) program designed to help borrowers in danger of losing their homes to foreclosure. Eligible homeowners may be able to pay off their original (foreclosing) lenders with a fixed-rate, 30-year-term mortgage for up to 90 percent of the appraised value of the property. Eligible homeowners are those who originated their loans before January 1, 2008, spend more than 31 percent of their monthly income on their mortgage, and are currently in danger of foreclosure. Borrowers would have to share future equity with the FHA. The program is completely voluntary; banks may elect not to participate. The program begins on October 1, 2008 and ends in September of 2011.

Continue Reading Key Provisions in The Housing and Economic Recovery Act of 2008