From the Associated  Press:
Embarq Corp. and its former corporate  parent, Sprint Nextel Corp., have sued the federal government to recover  $31.6 million in income taxes.
The two companies filed the lawsuit Wednesday  in Kansas City, Kan., federal court. The complaint claims Sprint paid  the taxes by mistake in the 1990 through 1994 tax years.
 
Sprint said it mistakenly included subsidies  its local telephone division received from the Universal Service Fund  as taxable income. The fund helps defray the cost of running lines to  rural and poor areas.
The Internal Revenue Service denied Sprint's  refund requests, which were filed in 2004.
