2009 is quickly coming to a close, and your window for some 2009 tax savings is closing with it. If you really want to save a few tax dollars, here are some year-end thoughts:

Win with your Losses

Do you have stock gains?

Give appreciated stocks (and other investments) to someone with significant capital losses.

A family member, or other, could give their individual stock or mutual funds or other investments that have appreciated in value. When sold, the new owner will have a gain on that sale, but can now offset that gain with their losses, thus eliminating any capital gains tax.

Taxpayers can give up to $13,000 per year per person tax-free as part of the annual gift-tax exclusion.

(If you have losses, you may be able to use someone else’s gain.)

There’s a growing professional group of individuals called “daily money managers,"

who help the elderly with day-to-day financial tasks. These include ensuring that Social Security benefits are received, that there is enough money to buy groceries, pay bills, balance the checkbook, ensure that their money is deposited in their bank accounts, fill out insurance claims and ensure that the claims are paid, organize tax records and other financial paperwork, and even negotiate with creditors on their clients' behalf. Many spend a lot of time sifting through medical records for bills and for insurance purposes, and keeping all these records straight.

If you have a cleaning lady, housekeeper, nanny, babysitter, health aide, private nurse, caregiver, house cleaner, yard worker or similar domestic worker, and
If you control the work that is performed (how the work is done, what work is to be done, when, you provide the tools), and
If you pay them $1,500 or more during the year, then
You are a household employer. Congratulations!