Besides the usual tax strategies, such as making charitable donations before year's-end, you might be able to take advantage of one of the many temporary tax breaks Congress created to stimulate the economy. One of them, the popular first-time homebuyer credit, was recently extended so you have more time to get it. But it's unclear whether others will survive. Congress isn't expected to pass any major tax legislation before year's-end, although it will likely make a short-term fix to the estate tax so it doesn't disappear next year as scheduled. Legislators are expected to keep the current limits, which allow one to shelter up to $3.5 million in estate taxes, for another year. So, as you think about the coming tax season, here are some tax breaks to keep in mind: -- Homebuyer credit. The $8,000 first-time homebuyer credit recently was extended and expanded so more of us will be eligible. Now, even if you're not buying your first house, you might qualify for a credit worth up to $6,500 if you're purchasing a principle residence after Nov. 6. To qualify, you must have owned a house for five consecutive years during the eight years before buying the new one. Income limits to qualify for the credit have been raised, but again for purchases made after Nov. 6. The full credit is available if modified adjusted gross income is up to $125,000 for singles and $225,000 for married joint filers. It then starts phasing out. You also have more time to buy. The house must be under contract by April 30, and the deal must close by the end of June. -- Sales tax deduction. 'It's still not too late to buy, even if the Cash for Clunkers program is over,' says Barbara Weltman, author of '1001 Deductions & Tax Breaks.' 'You can still buy a car in 2009 and get to write off the sales tax on the car.' This deduction applies to new vehicles purchased from Feb. 17 to the end of this year. And you can deduct the sales and excise taxes paid on the first $49,500 of the purchase. The deduction begins to phase out once adjusted gross income reaches $125,000 for singles; $250,000 for joint filers. -- Required distributions relief. The stock market plunge last year put older investors required to take distributions from retirement accounts in a hard spot. They faced having to pull money out when the account value had dropped, locking in those losses. Congress cut them some slack for this year only. Those older than 70 1/2 don't have to take required distributions this year from traditional individual retirement accounts or other retirement plans. And if you took distributions this year because you were unaware of the tax relief or discovered later that you really didn't need the money this year, you have until Nov. 30 to put the money back into an IRA or retirement account to avoid paying taxes on the withdrawal, says Mark Luscombe, principal analyst with CCH, a provider of tax information. -- Energy credits. For this year and next, deduct up to 30 percent of the cost of energy improvements to your main residence, such as adding energy-efficient windows, doors, insulation furnaces, air conditioners, heat pumps and water heaters. The amount of credit, though, can't exceed $1,500 for the combined two-year period. Add solar panels, solar water heaters and geothermal heat pump now and through 2016, and deduct 30 percent of the cost without any dollar limit. 'It's a triple win: You save on your taxes, you save on your energy and you're probably adding value to your home,' Weltman said. Check out dsireusa.org for the various state and local energy tax breaks. -- Education breaks. The new American Opportunity credit, good for this year and next, is a more generous version of the old Hope Scholarship credit. The Opportunity credit is worth up to $2,500 in higher education costs -- tuition, fees, books or required materials -- paid in any one of the first four years of school. The credit essentially covers the first $2,000 spent on college costs, and 25 percent of the next $2,000 spent. The credit begins to phase once income reaches $80,000 for singles; $160,000 for married joint filers. Credits basically reduce your bottom line tax bill dollar-for-dollar. But 40 percent of the Opportunity credit is refundable, meaning you can get as much as $1,000 back in the form of a refund if you don't owe any taxes. Also, you can tap a 529 college savings account to pay for computer equipment for students this year and next without paying taxes, Weltman said. -- Tax breaks for the unemployed. Don't forget, you don't have to pay income taxes on the first $2,400 of unemployment benefits received this year. Also, if you've been laid off any time between Sept. 1, 2008, and the end of this year, you could qualify for a nine-month federal subsidy that pays 65 percent of the so-called COBRA premiums to remain covered under your old employer's health insurance plan. You won't get the subsidy if you voluntarily quit your job, or can get coverage under Medicare or a spouse's workplace plan. The subsidy starts phasing out when adjusted gross income hits $125,000 for singles and $250,000 for married joint filers. -- Making Work Pay credit. This credit had employers reduce tax withholdings so workers this year and next could get up to $400 extra in their paychecks, or up to $800 if married. But it's possible that not enough taxes are being withheld from your paycheck and you could end up with a smaller refund than usual or even owe money. 'The people who might be at risk are people who have two jobs, or spouses with both working, or at its worst, where both have two jobs,' Luscombe said. Check out the IRS online withholding calculator at irs.gov to see if the correct amount of taxes is being withheld. It's not too late to have your employer change your tax withholding or for you to make up the difference when paying estimated quarterly taxes, Luscombe said. -- Ponzi relief. Whether you lost money to Bernie Madoff or another Ponzi scheme, the IRS earlier this year said you can treat the loss as a theft rather than writing it off as a capital loss, which limits how much you can deduct each year. 'Theft losses have no dollar limit on what you can deduct,' Weltman said. To qualify as a theft, the lead figure in the scheme must be indicted or charged with a crime. -- Harvesting losses. A traditional strategy is to offset capital gains on investments with capital losses, and use up to $3,000 in excess losses to offset ordinary income. If you panicked and sold last year when the stock market fell, remember you could still be sitting on losses that can be used to offset any gains this year, said Bob D. Scharin, senior tax analyst at Thomson Reuters' Tax & Accounting. 