The effects of assigning inaccurate reference lifetimes in lifetime determinations are predicted theoretically by using standard equations. This theory leads to a method to remove reference error effects using common least-squares software. This method cannot, however, be used to deconvolute data collected with isochronal references. Uncorrected data can always be exactly solved with models containing one more degree of freedom than the true model. Monoexponential decays are fit by double-exponential decays or excited-state processes. Unimodal distributed decays often appear as discrete, double-exponential decays.