They're small deductions, but you're entitled to them so you might as well take them.

If you own mutual funds, they're going to bite you at the end of the year with returns you didn't even know you were going to get.

If you have clothing or household items you no longer need, this is the time to take it to a charity.

If you have business expenses, they must be for 2 percent of your income if you want to deduct them. You might want to pre-pay them.

If you don't have much in other deductions and thus your itemized deductions aren't much higher than your standard deduction, then it's not really helping that much.

Today's payslip has more deductions than a Sherlock Holmes novel.