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You'veroundedupyour receipts, figured out all your deductions and now you're ready to load that onto your tax forms. This is not the time to get sloppy. Make sure you don't run any of these red flags up the flag pole of your tax return and you will greatly reduce the chances of getting hit with the most dreaded of all tax events — the audit. 1MESSEDUPMATH Double check to make sure your arithmetic is correct. Math errors are not limited only to miscalculations. They could also be truncated numbers. Negative num- bers need to have brack- ets around them. Consider attaching a spreadsheet or adding machine tape. E-filing makes sure that math calculation errors don't occur. 2 SLOPPY RECORDS If you are self-employed, your deductions need to be very carefully docu- mented. As a member of this group, don't be tempted to blur the line between personal and business expenses, espe- cially mileage deductions and home-office usage. 3 MISSING MILEAGE Au- tomobile logs are one of the most commonly au- dited items. If you take this deduction, make sure your records are detailed with beginning and end- ing odometer readings, lo- cation and reason for the trip. 4 OVERSTATING CONTRIBU- TIONS Charitable deduc- tions that are more gen- erous than the IRS' aver- age guidelines could give an auditor reason to pause. Taking deductions for large, non-cash contribu- tions are particularly sus- pect. Be sure to have all re- ceipts showing the date of donation, the receiving or- ganization and the valua- tion of the donated items to document these contri- butions. The workbook, Money For Your Used Clothing Tax Year 2015 contains more than 1,400 market values for com- mon household and cloth- ing donations that do meet IRS guidelines and makes sure your spot on with your charitable deductions is the best $20 you'll spend (800 550-3502). Take the deduc- tions you're entitled to with confidence and peace of mind. 5 WRONG TAX FIGURES If you are preparing your own taxes, be sure to pull the correct numbers off the tax tables. E-filing will automatically pull the right numbers, so this is something to consider if you are opting to do it on your own, without an ac- countant or tax prepara- tion professional. Check to see if you are eligible for Free File at www.irs.gov. Look for the Free File link under "Filing & Payment" on the upper right side. 6 INCORRECT ID NUMBERS The most common mis- takes, according to the IRS, have to do with So- cial Security numbers. Make sure they are ac- curate, and match the name(s) given. If you show dependents, you must in- clude their Social Secu- rity numbers. Failing to include a dependent's name and Social Security number can result in un- derpayment or being de- nied the Earned Income Credit. 7 MISSING ATTACHMENTS Attaching the required documentation, such as W2s and 1099s is critical. All necessary forms and schedules should be in- cluded with sequence order given in the upper right- hand corner. 8 FAILURE TO SIGN Be sure to sign your return (both spouses, if filing jointly) and make a copy of it and all supporting documents for your records. Remem- ber, being audited isn't al- ways bad. Sometimes the IRS will discover they owe you money. 9 RECEIVING A SIZABLE RE- FUND This is not a red flag to signal an audit, but it's a sign that you're making a colossal mistake. It means you overpay your taxes. Part of your paycheck goes miss- ing every payday and you need to find it. It's stupid to overpay your taxes and then find yourself running to the credit cards because you can't make your paycheck stretch far enough. Fix your withholding. And if you want that big annual re- fund, automatically deposit the difference to a savings account every payday. Wouldyouliketosend a tip to Mary? You can email her at mary@ everydaycheapskate. com, or write to Everyday Cheapskate, 12340 Seal Beach Blvd., Ste. B-416, Seal Beach, CA 90740. EVERYDAY CHEAPSKATE Avoid costly tax errors Mary Hunt REDDING Caltrans Dis- trict 2, in Northern Cali- fornia, has a new District Director — Dave Moore, who has been the acting District 2 director since April 2015. As district director, Moore is responsible for planning and deliver- ing transportation im- provement projects in the seven counties — Tehama, Shasta, Trinity, Siskiyou, M o d o c , Lassen and Plumas — that make up District 2. He also o v e r s e e s the main- t e n a n c e and oper- ations of more than 4,000 lane miles of highways in the second largest geographic district in California. Prior to his appointment, Moore was the District 2 deputy district director for planning and local as- sistance. In that role, he oversaw federal and state trans- portation funds adminis- tered by the 40 local and regional transportation agencies and 10 federally recognized Tribes within the district. Moore is a registered engineer and holds a Bachelor of Science de- gree in civil engineer- ing from the University of California, Davis and a master's certificate in project management from The George Washington University. CALTRANS Mo or e na me d Di st ri ct 2 d ir ec to r Peninsula Humane Society and SPCA vis- ited the North State in January, traveling to Te- hama County from Bur- lingame in its spay and neuter van. Five team members ar- rived on Jan. 3 and pro- vided four days of free spay and neuter services to residents Jan. 4-7. In all, 96 pets belonging to low income Tehama County residents were spayed or neutered free of charge. Peninsula Humane Soci- ety was hosted by the Te- hama County Animal Care Center and Providing Es- sentials for Tehama Shel- ter — PETS. The two groups focus on providing free spay and neuter services to the public whenever possible. Peninsula Humane Society's free spay neu- ter clinic is funded en- tirely by donations made to the San Fran- cisco Bay Humane Friends group. ANIMAL CARE CENTER Visitors spay and neuter 96 local pets for free By Jennifer Cooper Social Security manager in Redding Throughout the month of February, we celebrate Black History Month. Cre- ated in 1926, this event coincides with the birth- days of Abraham Lincoln on Feb. 12 and Frederick Douglass on Feb. 14. Afri- can American communi- ties have celebrated these birthdays together since the late 19th century. Honoring our shared history and reflecting on the past is one way we unify as a nation. We re- member that we are all Americans — we believe in freedom and democracy for all. Another shared be- lief is that we all deserve a comfortable retirement, free of economic hardship. Social Security has re- tirement benefits and the tools to help you plan for your retirement and to apply for benefits online. We also provide disabil- ity benefits to individu- als with medical condi- tions that prevent them from working. If the dis- abled individual has de- pendent family members, they can also receive pay- ments. If you or anyone you know is disabled, they may qualify for disability ben- efits. Studies show that a 20-year-old worker has a 1-in-4 chance of becom- ing disabled before reach- ing full retirement age. You can see if you meet our strict definition of dis- abled and also apply for disability benefits at www. socialsecurity.gov/disabili- tyssi/apply.html. Widows, widowers, and their dependent children may be eligible for Social Security survivors bene- fits. Social Security helps by providing income for the families of workers who die. In fact, 98 of ev- ery 100 children could get benefits if a working par- ent dies. And Social Secu- rity pays more benefits to children than any other federal program. You can learn more about Social Security survivors bene- fits at www.socialsecurity. gov/survivors. Honoring each other begins with fair and equal treatment. Social Security guarantees that, if you pay into the system, you will have the same benefits as everyone else. This Black History Month, we want to make sure our diverse nation is covered and that no one is left out of the benefits they deserve. Visit www. socialsecurity.gov to learn more. SOCIAL SECURITY Black History Month celebrated Moore 530-526-9887 645 Antelope Blvd. • Suite 8 Red Bluff, Ca 96080 www.countrycaninedayspa.com info@countrycaninedayspa.com Professional Groomer for 10 years, serving Tehama County and surrounding areas Country Canine Luxury Day Spa We care for the whole dog Topsoilfrom Red Truck Rock Yard, LLC • Standard Blends • Premium Blends • Special Blends • Also Available: Mushroom Compost Mulch • Worm Castings Open Monday through Friday 8:00 am to 5:00 pm. We'llalsodeliverstraighttoyou. 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