What do dry cleaning, resumes and stock losses have in common? If you have a receipt and a good reason you can turn those expenses into gains at tax time.

During his many years of accounting work John Demyan has discovered a money making formula that keeps adding up.

He says you will pay less in taxes or get a bigger refund if you do your homework and find legitimate tax deductions.

Demyan says, "Whether it be through education tax breaks, there are health savings accounts out there, I'm fond of. Child tax credits, child and dependent care credit for day care expenses."

Actually, just having kids can help you at tax time. In most cases, families can claim a $1,000 tax credit for each dependent child under the age of 17.

If you own the place where those children sleep, you have more than a home. It's Uncle Sam's welcome mat to a wide variety of tax breaks.

As we gathered video for this story, we came across a 9,000 square-foot home. That's a big house and it could be a big tax deduction. The owner can write off mortgage interest and property taxes.

The mansion is also for sale. If it sells, the owner could even deduct the real estate agent's commission.

And that's not all, now homeowners can deduct private mortgage insurance and interest from home equity lines and loans.

Plus, if you bought or refinanced a home in 2007, borrowers can deduct the portion of closing costs called "points". Most people pay for "points" to get a lower interest rate.

You may also get more green back by "going green". If you buy energy-effective appliances like dishwashers and refrigerators, you'll recoup your investment in 4-5 years. Not only that, it's a great tax write off.

Merle Hicks, a department manager with Lowe's, says, "They do have the tax deduction now up to $500, which most people don't know you can deduct energy-efficient appliances on your taxes."

You can also get a tax credit for buying some hybrid vehicles.

Other common tax write offs are donations to your place of worship or charities like Salvation Army or Goodwill. Just remember, for every donation you claim you'll need to show a receipt.

Finally, for a list of the 50 most easily overlooked tax deductions, we've left a link at the top of this story.