| To help avoid an income tax audit, there are certain | | | | Most every American makes donations to the needy |
| things you must make sure you do not do. | | | | and poor. Many take a tax deduction for what they |
| One way to automatically get the attention of the | | | | contributed in the name of charity. If this is your case, |
| official looking at your return is if you forget to sign | | | | be honest with the actual worth of the items given. |
| your return. If this is forgotten, then an official will be | | | | The general rule here is that a donated item is worth |
| wondering what else you forget and probably take a | | | | at least 1% of its original value when it was purchased |
| very close look at your entire return. This sounds so | | | | and never more than 30%. There are not enough |
| basic but it is true. It happens so often the IRS even | | | | exceptions to this to list any. This includes a pair of |
| placed the signing of your return on the checklist of | | | | designer pants that were worn only once. You might |
| things to do before sealing the envelope. | | | | have just paid $50 for them, but do not claim more |
| Calculational errors are a very easy mistake to | | | | than $15 on your tax return. To the IRS, they are just a |
| correct. When you are finished, recalculate every | | | | pair of pants. |
| equation until you conclude with matching numbers for | | | | These are three very common triggers that could |
| each line. If you are dyslexic, have another member of | | | | cause an income tax audit. By avoiding these |
| your household check the math. The error is perceived | | | | mistakes, you could save yourself a lot of misery. |
| as a person not paying attention to details or not | | | | Of course, the above is not legal or accounting advice |
| caring enough. This is why the IRS official will get so | | | | -- it is for informational purposes only. Before making |
| annoyed with this type of error. If it is too obvious, an | | | | any decisions regarding legal or tax matters, it is vital |
| audit can be triggered just because you annoyed an | | | | that you consult a licensed professional lawyer or tax |
| official. | | | | accountant. |