Key points in bill passed by Congress to avert US 'fiscal cliff'

The US House of Representatives approved a Senate bill on Tuesday night to avert $600 billion in automatic tax increases and spending cuts known as the "fiscal cliff." Here are details:  

  * Postpones the first installment of automatic spending cuts for two months while Congress works on a plan replace them.

   * Raises $620 billion in revenue over 10 years through a series of tax increases on wealthier Americans.

   * Permanently extends tax cuts enacted in 2001 under former Republican President George W. Bush for income below $400,000 per individual, or $450,000 per family. Income above that level would be taxed at 39.6 percent, up from the current top rate of 35 percent.

   * Above that income threshold, capital gains and dividends tax rates would return to 20 percent, from 15 percent.

   * Caps personal exemptions and itemized deductions for income above $250,000, or $300,000 per household.

   * Raises estate tax rate to 40 percent for estates of more than $10 million per couple, up from the current level of 35 percent.

   * Includes a permanent fix for the alternative minimum tax.

   * Extends unemployment insurance benefits for one year for 2 million people.

   * Extends child tax credit, earned income tax credit, and tuition tax credit for five years.

   * Extends research and experimentation tax credit, and the wind production tax credit through the end of 2013. Extends 50 percent bonus depreciation for one year.

   * Avoids a cut in payments to doctors treating patients on Medicare - the "doc fix."