As you’re preparing your federal income tax return this year, there are some key tax breaks you need to be aware of to keep from paying Uncle Sam more than you must.

In an effort to stimulate the economy last year, Congress and President Barack Obama approved several tax deductions and credits that will make preparing a tax return this year more complicated than usual.

Many of the new tax breaks are credits, which reduce your bottom-line tax bill dollar-for-dollar. Deductions, while welcome, simply reduce your taxable income.

So before you fill out your return, see which tax breaks you qualify for:

A tax credit for first-time homebuyers that was created in 2008 was extended and expanded in 2009.

The credit is equal to 10 percent of the purchase price of the home, up to $8,000.

To receive the credit, you must buy – or enter into a binding contract to buy – a home on or before April 30, extended from Nov. 30. You must close on the home on or before June 30.

The tax credit also was expanded to include longtime homeowners who buy another primary residence. They’re eligible for a credit of 10 percent of the purchase price up to a maximum credit of $6,500.

To qualify, you must have lived in your previous home for five consecutive years during the eight-year period ending on the date of purchase of your next home.

Because of the stringent documentation, the Internal Revenue Service is requiring taxpayers claiming the homebuyer credit to file their tax return the old-fashioned way – by paper, instead of electronically.

“Because the IRS has had a high incident of fraudulent claims for the credit, the IRS has significantly increased the paperwork,” said James Smith, certified public accountant and managing director at Smith, Jackson, Boyer & Bovard PLLC in Dallas.

Paper returns can take four to six weeks to process, so you won’t get your tax refund as quickly as if you had filed electronically.

Obama’s stimulus plan included a tax credit worth $400 for a single taxpayer, or $800 for a married couple filing a joint return. Retirees will get a $250 credit as well.

The Making Work Pay credit is either phased out or unavailable for higher-income taxpayers. The phase-out begins at $75,000 for single taxpayers and $150,000 for couples filing a joint return.

If you qualify for the credit, chances are you’ve already been receiving it in the form of having less tax withheld from your paychecks, which increased your take-home pay.

But if you have less withheld from your paycheck, you will get less back in any refund or you may owe more in tax.

If you donated cash to charities helping Haiti earthquake victims, you can claim those donations on the tax return you’re filing now. This deduction does not apply to donations made to help victims of the recent earthquake in Chile.

Taxpayers who itemize deductions on their 2009 return qualify for this special tax relief provision. Only cash contributions – by text message, check, credit card or debit card –made to those charities between Jan. 12 and March 1 are eligible.

Here are some often-overlooked deductions and credits:

State and local sales tax: This deduction is a good deal for Texans, who don’t have state income tax to deduct.

To claim this tax break, you must itemize deductions. If you didn’t save all your receipts, you can still claim the deduction by using the general sales tax tables in the Instructions for Schedule A (Form 1040).

You may also use the IRS’ online sales tax deduction calculator at apps.irs.gov/app/stdc to figure the amount you’re eligible to claim.

Taxpayers can add to the table amount the sales tax paid on big-ticket items such as a car, boat or a major home renovation.

Child and Dependent Care: If you paid someone to care for a child, spouse or other dependent last year, you may be able to claim this credit.

The individual receiving care must have been your dependent child age 12 or younger or your spouse or certain other individuals who are physically or mentally incapable of self-care.

For the 2009 tax year, you may claim up to $3,000 of expenses paid in a year for one qualifying individual or $6,000 for two or more qualifying individuals.

You must reduce the qualifying expenses by the amount of any dependent care benefits provided by your employer that you deduct or exclude from your income. The care must have been provided so you could work or look for work.

The person receiving care also must have lived with you for more than half of 2009, though there are exceptions for the birth or death of a qualifying person or a child of divorced or separated parents.

Earned Income Tax Credit: This credit is intended for low- to moderate-income workers. To qualify, you must have earned income from employment, self-employment or another source, and your income must fall below certain limits.

Those who qualify for the credit will receive a refund if the credit exceeds the amount of taxes owed.

Moving expenses: If you moved because of a change in your job, you may be able to deduct “reasonable” moving expenses, but not any expenses for meals.

To qualify for the moving expense deduction, your new job must be at least 50 miles farther from your old home than your old job was.

If you didn’t have a previous workplace, your new job must be at least 50 miles from your old home.

Teachers’ classroom expenses: Elementary and secondary schoolteachers can deduct up to $250 of the cost of books, supplies, computer equipment and software they buy for the classroom.

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