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Shasta County's favorite holiday tradition returns to the historic Cascade stage in the 12th annual Cascade Christmas opening the Fri- day after Thanksgiving, at 7 p.m. Nov. 25; 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. Nov. 26; 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. Nov. 27; 7 p.m. Dec. 1 and 2; 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. Dec. 3 and 2 p.m. Dec.4. This year's Cascade Christmas, written by re- turning scriptwriter Jes- sica Fletcher Wiechman, di- rected by Kim Acuna and produced by Jana Pulcini- Leard, follows Curt and the passengers aboard the Holly Railways Train, trav- eling overnight to Angelton, a popular Christmas desti- nation known for its annual Festival of Lights. Curt, a first time pas- senger, realizes all too late that he's boarded the wrong train. Flooded with the angstofspendingChristmas away from his grandma, he strugglestoconnectwiththe train full of strangers. With the help of the con- ductor and hostess, and Gabby an introspective and quick-witted neighbor, Curt learnsvaluablelessonsabout family traditions and the recipe for an unexpectedly joyful Christmas Day. This holiday spectacular features music, dance and illusion that will bring the spirit of Christmas into ev- eryone's hearts. Experience the joy and magic as you are taken on a singing and dancing journey of the holi- day traditions we have come to know and love. Following each matinee performance, guests are in- vited to bring a camera on to the stage to take pictures with Mr. and Mrs. Claus. Tickets are $12-$26 and available at 1733 Market St. in Redding, by phone at243- 8877 or at www.cascadethe- atre.org. HOLIDAYTRADITION Christmasreturnsto the Cascade in Redding The Internal Revenue Service encourages taxpay- ers to consider a tax with- holding checkup following several new factors that could affect their refunds in 2017. Taking a closer look at the taxes being withheld can help ensure the right amount is withheld, either for tax refund purposes or to avoid an unexpected tax bill next year. The withholding review takes on even more im- portance this year given a new tax law change that re- quires the IRS to hold re- funds a few weeks for some early filers in 2017 claim- ing the Earned Income Tax Credit and the Additional Child Tax Credit. In addi- tion, the IRS and state tax administrators continue to strengthen identity theft and refund fraud protec- tions, which means some tax returns could again face additional review time next year to protect against fraud. "With these changes, it makes good sense on many different levels to check on your withholding and plan ahead for next tax season," said IRS Commissioner John Koskinen. "It's a per- sonal choice if you want to have extra money withheld to get a bigger tax refund, but you have options avail- able if you prefer to have a smaller refund next year and more take-home money now." So far in 2016, the IRS has issued more than 102 million tax refunds out of 140 million total individual returns processed, with the average refund well over $2,700. Historically, the re- fund figure has increased over time in size. By adjusting the Form W-4, Employee's Withhold- ing Allowance Certificate, taxpayers can ensure that the right amount is taken out of their pay through- out the year so that they don't pay too much tax and have to wait until they file their tax return to get any refund. Employers use the form to figure the amount of federal income tax to be withheld from pay. Somerefundsdelayed in 2017 When considering re- fund issues, the IRS wants taxpayers to be aware sev- eral factors could affect the timing of their tax refunds next year. A major change will af- fect some early tax filers claiming two key credits who won't see their refunds until after Feb. 15. Beginning in 2017, a new law requires the IRS to hold refunds on tax re- turns claiming the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) or the Additional Child Tax Credit (ACTC) until mid- February. Under the change required by Congress in the Protecting Americans from Tax Hikes (PATH) Act, the IRS must hold the entire re- fund — even the portion not associated with the EITC and ACTC — until at least Feb. 15. This change helps ensure that taxpayers get the refund they are owed by giving the agency more time to help detect and pre- vent fraud. As in past years, the IRS will begin accepting and processing tax returns once the filing season be- gins. All taxpayers should file as usual, and tax re- turn preparers should also submit returns as they nor- mally do. Even though the IRS cannot issue refunds for some early filers until at least Feb. 15, the IRS re- minds taxpayers that most refunds will still be issued within the normal time- frame: 21 days or less, after being accepted for process- ing by the IRS. "This is an important change to be aware of for some taxpayers used to getting an early refund," Koskinen said. "We'll be focusing on awareness of this change throughout the fall, but it's important for taxpayers who might be affected by this to be aware of the change for their plan- ning purposes. Although we still expect to issue most refunds within 21 days, we don't want people caught by surprise if they get their re- fund a few weeks later than previous years." Stronger security filters and tax refund processing As the IRS steps up its efforts to combat identity theft and tax refund fraud through its many process- ing filters, legitimate re- fund returns sometimes get delayed. While the IRS is working diligently to stop fraudulent refunds from be- ing issued, it is also focused on releasing legitimate re- funds as quickly as possi- ble. The IRS, state tax agen- cies and the private sec- tor tax industry continue to work together to fight fraud through their un- precedented Security Sum- mit partnership. Additional safeguards will be set in place for the upcoming 2017 filing season. "These increased secu- rity screenings are invisible to most taxpayers," Koski- nen said. "But we want peo- ple to be aware we are tak- ing additional steps to pro- tect taxpayers from identity theft, and that sometimes means the real taxpayers face a slight delay in their refunds. As we continue im- proving our processes and working with the states and the tax industry, we will stop more fraud while also fine-tuning our tools to re- duce the number of inno- cent taxpayers who might see a refund delay. " The agency encourages taxpayers to check their tax withholding now. Whether they prefer more earned money during the year or a large refund, checking withholding can ensure people don't receive an un- expected tax bill next year. Making these checks in the late summer or early fall can give taxpayers enough time to adjust their with- holdings before the tax year ends in December. Changes in circumstances and advance premium tax credits There are also some im- portant reminders for tax- payers who receive advance payments of the Premium TaxCreditundertheAfford- able Care Act. People who have advance payments of the premium tax credit made to their in- surance company on their behalf should report life changes to their Market- place. Changes in circum- stances that should be re- ported include moving to a new address and changes to income or family size. Re- porting these changes will help individuals avoid large differences between the ad- vance credit payments and the amount of the premium tax credit allowed on their taxreturn,whichmayaffect their refund or balance due. People working in the shared economy The IRS encourages peo- ple in the shared economy who also have a job with an employertotakeacloselook at their withholding, which can help avoid unexpected tax issues with their income from such things as driving a car or renting a home. Making a withholding adjustment In many cases, a new FormW-4,Employee'sWith- holding Allowance Certifi- cate, is all that is needed to make an adjustment. Tax- payers submit it to their employer, and the employer uses the form to figure the amount of federal income tax to be withheld from pay The IRS offers several online resources to help taxpayers bring taxes paid closer to what is owed. They are available anytime on IRS.gov. They include: •IRS Withholding Calcu- lator—Onlinetoolhelpsde- termine the correct amount of tax to withhold. •IRS Publication 505 — Tax Withholding and Esti- mated Tax. •TaxWithholding—Com- plete information on with- holding, estimated taxes, FAQs, more. Self-employed taxpayers, including those involved in the sharing economy, can use the Form 1040-ES worksheet to correctly fig- ure their estimated tax pay- ments. If they also work for an employer, they can often forgo making these quar- terly payments by instead having more tax taken out of their pay. TAX ASSISTANCE IRS urges taxpayers to check up on their tax withholding Shasta College's Annual Christmas tree sale will be 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays starting Nov. 26 at the Shasta College Farm un- til trees are sold out. There will be a variety of trees. Bring in six non-per- ishable canned food items and receive $2 off any tree — canned food will be do- natedtotheGoodNewsRes- cueMission.Veteransortheir familieswithmilitaryIDwill receive$2offanytree.Offers cannot be combined. The annual Country Christmas Fair will be held 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 3 and Sunday, Dec. 4 at the Shasta College Farm — fol- low the tree signs once you enterthemaincampus.Visits withSanta,farmanimalpet- ting zoo, hay rides and farm tours will be available. On-campus clubs will be selling a variety of student- made gifts and food during the event. Theseeventsarehostedby the Shasta College Ag Lead- ershipClub.Allproceedsben- efittheclubandthecontinua- tionofagriculturalprograms and events at the college. For further information, call Trena Richards at 242- 2209, write to trichards@ shastacollege.edu or visit https://www.facebook.com/ SHASTAAGRICULTURE. SHASTA COLLEGE Christmas tree sale and country fair Those who have recently taken a journey into the Oak Hill Cemetery in Red Bluff may have seen hun- dred's of uniformly deco- rated veterans' grave sites following the joint efforts of the HeartShine title holders and volunteers supporting 11-year-old Preston Sharp's honor project. Each veterans marker now hosts a new American flag, a red carnation bou- quet and is cleaned and cleared of debris. Sundays are busy days for Sharp since he began his mission after visiting his grandfather's grave and found sites not kept up or honored the way he said they should be. He set out to change that at every cemetery he can, working every Sunday, often with help Sharp's help recently was the HeartShine Royal Court, Shasta 4-H club members, a Boy Scout and community members. To- gether they cleaned and decorated veterans' graves under Sharp's direction. Each gravestone was hon- ored by the volunteer, with the name of the veteran's branch of military service and "thank you for your service" said by each vol- unteer, followed by a mo- ment of silence. The HeartShine title- holders headed up Sun- day's volunteer day at the Red Bluff cemetery after hearing about Sharp and his efforts across Northern California. Titleholders, including Miss HeartShine Ciara Mack, spearheaded orga- nizing volunteers. "This is why HeartShine was founded, to support amazing young people do- ing amazing things," Mack said. "I can't think of a bet- ter way to spend my Sun- day." HeartShine directors presented Sharp the honor of HeartShine Ambassa- dor as he joins seven other male HeartShine members who forgo the usual crowns and sashes for medals and certificates and are recog- nized for their outstanding service to others. You can donate to the project directly through Sharp's gofundme page at https://www.gofundme. com/8w9wc39h?r=51686. VETERAN APPRECIATION Heartshine program joins efforts to decorate veterans' graves at Oak Hill Cemetery CONTRIBUTED Heartshine title holders and volunteers teamed up recently with Preston Sharp to pay tribute to veterans by decorating their graves with flowers and flags. 734MainStreet 530-690-2477 11am-9pm Mon.-Thur. 11am - 10pm Fri. & Sat. 11am-8pm Sun. 9 CRAFT BEERS ON TAP Pizza Restaurant 2498 S. Main St. Red Bluff, CA 96080 (530) 528-8656 END OF THE YEAR SPECIAL End of the year membership special $150 Single Membership $225 Couple Membership *No enrollment fees Membership to be paid in full upon sign-up Round Up Saloon Round Up Saloon 610WashingtonSt. (530) 527-9901 JoinUsEach Sunday For FOOTBALL!! 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