Feb. 1: February is the shortest month of the year, but over these 28 days this year, we celebrate Black History Month, commemorating the invaluable e achievements and contributions of black Americans and recognizing the important role of African Americans in U.S. history.
The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), the nation's oldest and largest grassroots-based civil rights organization, was founded on this month, specifically on Feb. 12, 1909, the centennial anniversary of the birth of Abraham Lincoln, who issued the Emancipation Proclamation twice.
One of the NAACP's key divisions is its Legal Defense and Educational Fund. If you want to support the NAACP Fund's work or give to an Historically Black College or donate to your local community nonprofit, your gift could help make a special statement during Black History Month. Your contributions also might be worth a tax break to you. As long as the group to which you donate is a 501(c)(3) organization, you can claim the amount as a charitable tax deduction if you itemize.
Feb. 2: Happy Groundhog Day!
Or as we call it here in Central Texas, Armadillo Day, since the nine-banded 'dillo Bee Cave Bob offers his own weather prognostications today.
But regardless of the weather today, or six weeks from now when we’re deeper into Tax Season 2025, you need to make sure you get your filing right. If you don’t, you’ll end up being the tax version of Bill Murray in the “Groundhog Day” movie, this time reliving your tax mistakes and correcting them by filing an amended tax return. Doing your taxes once is bad enough. So, do it correctly, the one and only time!
Feb. 3: Major disasters ravaged much of the United States last year. In fact, some taxpayers who got extensions in 2024 to file their 2023 tax year — yes, 2023 — returns by Oct. 15, 2023, were given even more time to complete that task due to the catastrophic hurricanes, floods, tornadoes, and other acts of Mother Nature that struck their areas. Today, however, is Tax Day for them. Those taxpayers on extension in 14 states and two U.S. island territories must file their 2023 tax year returns by today, Feb. 3.
Feb. 9: Are your ready Chiefs, Eagles, and special television commercial fans? It's finally Super Bowl Sunday! Not only will today's 59th Super Bowl decide American professional football's champion, it's also the biggest single betting day of the year. The NFL, like the other professional U.S. sports leagues, have embraced betting. Just remember, if any of your wagers pay off, either in person at casinos or online bets, you owe tax on your winnings. Note, too, that even if your winnings are part of a fantasy sports bet, the associated taxes are very real.
Feb. 10: If your job is as a server at a restaurant or at any other establishment where gratuities from customers, maybe from those winning Super Bowl high-rollers, are part of your compensation, I hope you get all the tips you deserve for doing your job well. Remember, though, that those tips are taxable income.

Whether you're dining at your favorite eatery or getting food delivered to your home, if a tip isn't included on your restaurant or delivery bill, click the image above to calculate how much to tip the person who brought it to you.
And if you got at least $20 in gratuities in January for your extraordinary services as a food server or hair stylist or parking valet or whatever job where tipping is common, you must report that amount by today. Use Form 4070 to let your employer know the total tips you took in last month.
Feb. 14: Happy Valentine's Day! Do you and your better half file a joint return? Most married couples do. Remember to look over the 1040 carefully before you sign it. When both spouses sign their jointly filed 1040, each is jointly and severally liable for the entire tax amount due. I don't want to spoil your Heart Day celebration, but this means the IRS can come after either spouse for payment of a tax bill, even the husband or wife who is in more dire financial circumstances.
Feb. 17: Today's Washington Birthday federal holiday officially honors George Washington, the Father of Our Country. Over the years, however, this federal (three-day, yay!) holiday has come to commemorate the contributions of all our Commanders in Chief, and is popularly known as Presidents' Day. That means we've got to give another shout out to Abraham Lincoln, who essentially was father of our income tax system, signing into law a tax on earnings to help pay Civil War costs.
Feb. 18: The Internal Revenue Service today can finally issue refunds to filers who claimed the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) or additional Child Tax Credit. But don't spend the money just yet. Even if you're getting your tax refund directly deposited, the IRS' general processing time plus protocols of financial institutions receiving the refunds you’re your tax cash probably won't actually show up in your account until closer to the end of this month.
Feb. 24: You're ready to work on your tax return, but you're on a budget. No worries. The IRS and its Free File Alliance partners are back, again offering no-cost online tax preparation and electronic filing to taxpayers whose adjusted gross income (AGI) is $84,000 or less, regardless of filing status at the official IRS.gov Free File website. The same eight software companies that participated last year are back for the 2025 filing season.

If your income is too high, you still can file for free by using Free File's Fillable Forms option.
You also might want to check out IRS Direct File, the IRS’ own free online tax prep and e-filing program if you live in one of the 25 states where the free online tax preparation and e-filing is offered. In addition, Direct File offers more options that apply to more taxpayers’ situations this year.
Feb. 28: Wow! This really is a short month! Or maybe we were just having a ton of tax fun. Wait. What? You say you weren't having any fun at all trying to do your taxes yourself, even with software's prompts, and have decided to turn to professional tax help. That's a smart move, and here are some tips on how to find the perfect tax professional for your filing and planning needs. Note, though, that at this point in the filing season, you're likely to be placed at the end of that tax pro's very long client queue, as reputable tax preparers' calendars fill up fast. So again, be patient. You're at least now in tax filing line.
Small Business Tax Calendar: Important filing, deposit and record keeping dates throughout the year that your company needs to know. The IRS is updating the online version. Until that link is operational, you can get the full year's important business and individual tax dates in IRS Pub. 509.
The Church of Jesus Christ (LDS) is often misunderstood . . Some accuse the Church of not believing in Christ and, therefore, not being a Christian religion . . This article helps to clarify such misconceptions
• Baptism: .
Early Christian churches, practiced baptism of youth (not infants) by immersion by the father of the family. The local congregation had a lay ministry. An early Christian Church has been re-constructed at the Israel Museum, and the above can be verified. http://www.imj.org.il/eng/exhibitions/2000/christianity/ancientchurch/structure/index.html
The Church of Jesus Christ (LDS) continues baptism and a lay ministry as taught by Jesus’ Apostles. . Early Christians were persecuted for keeping their practices sacred, and not allowing non-Christians to witness them
• The Trinity: .
A literal reading of the New Testament points to God and Jesus Christ , His Son , being separate , divine beings , united in purpose. . To whom was Jesus praying in Gethsemane, and Who was speaking to Him and his apostles on the Mount of Transfiguration?
The Nicene Creed”s definition of the Trinity was influenced by scribes translating the Greek manuscripts into Latin. . The scribes embellished on a passage explaining the Trinity , which is the Catholic and Protestant belief that God is Father, Son and Holy Spirit. . The oldest versions of the epistle of 1 John, read: "There are three that bear witness: the Spirit, the water and the blood and these three are one."
Scribes later added "the Father, the Word and the Spirit," and it remained in the epistle when it was translated into English for the King James Version, according to Dr. Bart Ehrman, Chairman of the Religion Department at UNC- Chapel Hill. . . .He no longer believes in the Nicene Trinity. .
Scholars agree that Early Christians believed in an embodied God; it was neo-Platonist influences that later turned Him into a disembodied Spirit. . Divinization, narrowing the space between God and humans, was also part of Early Christian belief. . The Church of Jesus Christ (LDS) views the Trinity as three separate divine beings , in accord with the earliest Greek New Testament manuscripts.
• The Deity of Jesus Christ
Mormons hold firmly to the deity of Christ. For members of the Church of Jesus Christ (LDS), Jesus is not only the Son of God but also God the Son. Evangelical pollster George Barna found in 2001 that while only 33 percent of American Catholics, Lutherans, and Methodists agreed that Jesus was "without sin," Mormons were among the "most likely" to say that Jesus was sinless.
• The Cross: .
The Cross became popular as a Christian symbol in the Fifth Century A.D. . Members of the Church of Jesus Christ (LDS) believe the proper Christian symbol is Christ’s resurrection , not his crucifixion on the Cross. Many Mormon chapels feature paintings of the resurrected Christ or His Second Coming.
• Christ's Atonement: .
But Mormons don”t term Catholics and Protestants “non-Christian”. . They believe Christ’s atonement in Gethsemane and on the Cross applies to all mankind. . The dictionary definition of a Christian is “of, pertaining to, believing in, or belonging to a religion based on the teachings of Jesus Christ”: . All of the above denominations are followers of Christ, and consider him divine, and the Messiah foretold in the Old Testament. They all worship the one and only true God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and address Him in prayer as prescribed in The Lord’s Prayer.
It”s important to understand the difference between Reformation and Restoration when we consider who might be authentic Christians. If members of the Church of Jesus Christ (LDS) embrace early Christian theology , they are likely more “Christian” than their detractors.
* * *
• Christ-Like Lives: . . .The 2005 National Study of Youth and Religion published by UNC-Chapel Hill found that Church of Jesus Christ (LDS) youth (ages 13 to 17) were more likely to exhibit these Christian characteristics than Evangelicals (the next most observant group):
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . LDS Evangelical
Attend Religious Services weekly . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71% . . . . 55%
Importance of Religious Faith in shaping daily life –
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . extremely important .. 52. . . . . . . 28
Believes in life after death . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76 . . . . . . 62
Believes in psychics or fortune-tellers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 0 . . . . . . 5
Has taught religious education classes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42 . . . . . . 28
Has fasted or denied something as spiritual discipline . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68 . . . . . . 22
Sabbath Observance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67 . . . . . . 40
Shared religious faith with someone not of their faith . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72 . . . . . . 56
Family talks about God, scriptures, prayer daily . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50 . . . . . . 19
Supportiveness of church for parent in trying to raise teen
(very supportive) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .65 . . . . . . 26
Church congregation has done an excellent job in helping
Teens better understand their own sexuality and sexual morality . . . . . 84 . . . . . . 35
Posted by: Bot | Monday, June 04, 2007 at 05:10 AM