April is the month when many of us feel like everything is taxed—particularly our patience. But filing your return can help put closure on a year in which most everyone saw assets or income shrink. Our easy money-saving tips will aid you in finding every deduction you’re entitled to for last year and may give you some ideas for 2010, too.

Think Green
You get a 30 percent credit for installing storm windows, skylights, insulation and more, says Thomas E. Healy, CPA, PC, in Boulder, CO. Some furnaces and advanced cooling systems also qualify. The maximum credit is $1,500 per year for 2009 and 2010. “This credit is allowable against the alternative minimum tax,” says Healy. Track credit offers at energystar.gov.

Get Back
While you probably remember the big charitable gifts you made, you may forget the incidentals incurred while giving back that you’re also entitled to write off, such as the ingredients in the meal you prepared for a nonprofit’s soup kitchen. You can also deduct out-of-pocket costs for volunteering, such as 14 cents per mile in transportation costs to do charitable work, Healy says, adding, “For contributions over $250, you need both a financial record and acknowledgment from the charity.”

Boost Savings
Funding a traditional (not Roth) IRA can lower your 2009 tax bill provided your income was high enough that you have to pay taxes, says Heidi Parchmann, EA, general manager of Clear Tax Debt in Rocky Hill, CT. A married couple filing jointly may contribute up to $5,000 each to a traditional IRA and then apply that amount as a deduction against their taxable income. It’s not too late: You can make an IRA contribution for 2009 anytime before April 15, 2010.

Taxing Errors
Here’s how to avoid the most common filing goofs.

File online. If you enter the wrong Social Security number, the system rejects the filing. Learn more at irs.gov/efile.
Correct mistakes ASAP. If you realize you owe more than you sent in, avoid the penalty by filing an amended
return rather than waiting for the bill (Form 040-X).
Include all income. Report interest on a savings account as well as wages, dividends and gambling winnings.