By Krista Hughes MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - Tax breaks for attending "civic values" courses, tax-free sales of second-hand furniture, special treatment for call centers and an informal economy employing six out of 10 workers are all in the line of fire as Mexico prepares a long-awaited tax overhaul. An analysis of budget data shows Mexico's extensive network of tax breaks and stimulus programs generate costs equal to about half the taxes actually collected.

By Kim Dixon WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Barack Obama on Wednesday revived a list of his favourite tax ideas, hoping to raise $580 billion (378.3 billion pounds) in new revenues from the wealthy over a decade in a potential opening gambit to forge a deal with Congress to overhaul the U.S. tax code.

SEJONG, March 26 (Yonhap) -- South Korea seeks to secure 15 trillion won (US$13.5 billion) over the next five years by streamlining its tax exemptions and reduction programs, the finance ministry said Tuesday. The move comes as policymakers are reviewing diverse ways to raise money to finance expanded welfare programs sought by the new government, which started its five-year-term in February. "In order to satisfy the growing fiscal demand, we need to raise 15 trillion won over the next five years by streamlining tax exemption and reduction systems," the ministry said.

Feb 28 (Reuters) - Tax "loopholes," as President Barack Obama and the Democrats call them, are at the heart of a political battle over the $85 billion in across-the-board federal spending cuts to kick in on Friday if Congress does not act. Obama and the Democrats want to kill many of these tax breaks. Republicans sometimes say they want to close tax breaks, too, but they have offered few specifics about which ones.