As 2010 winds down, your April 2011 self will thank you for making some moves to lighten your tax bill and set your finances in order for the year ahead. Decisions you make in the next few weeks will have implications that last for months.

Yahoo Finance dishes up some savvy choices that will pay off as Father Time finally pulls the plug on the tortured year.

The article recommends maxing out charitable giving and contributions to retirement accounts in order to decrease your exposure to higher tax brackets, as well as maxing out tax-free retirement contributions and taking any vacation days that won’t roll over into the next year.

Perhaps the most valuable piece of advice is to get organized. Culling together appropriate receipts and statements and setting them aside so they aren’t mixed with stuff from next year will pay off when the tax crunch arrives.

What will you do the rest of the month to make sure you get off to a great start in 2011?

Smart money moves for the end of the year [Yahoo Finance]

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