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.
what a bunch of crap! The IRS states my husband received the $250, we didn't even know it (I didn't receive the credit). Turbo Tax rejected the efile, corrected it and owed $250 more. Very aggravating.
Posted by: pam underwood | Thursday, April 15, 2010 at 08:24 PM
Yeah basically we are screwed. In our second careers we are now in the other "middle class" - those who earn less than $50k a year total income. When you earn less - less taxes are taken out. It becomes complicated if you both work because your incomes add to a higher number. We we're wacked with a $900 tax bill in '08. So in '09 we adjusted our withholdings up but it now seems this withholding scheme has left us with a $1.5K tax bill.
Posted by: Henry | Thursday, March 11, 2010 at 11:42 PM
This exact thing he warns of is happening. My husband works for the State of GA and they took out $1000 less in federal taxes last year and now we owe all of it back. Bastards. $#$% Obama.
Posted by: Katrina Bond | Friday, February 26, 2010 at 10:25 AM
@John: Based on real life checks for two married individuals filing jointly, the stimulus amount is $133 per month ($66.66 each) each; I didn't make that number up. The stimulus is received for 10 paychecks as it started in March. The excess over the credit received is going to be $530.
If you didn't notice the extra $133 in your bank account each month, I'm guessing you will notice the $530 reduction in your refund!
Posted by: Rick | Friday, November 20, 2009 at 07:55 PM
The spin from IRS is interesting (today's Wash Post). They downplay the 15.4 million taxpayers claiming TIGTA have double counted. TIGTA admitted they double counted a grand total of 2,681 filers. Then they claim that "the vast majority will only receive a slightly reduced refund." That is because 3/4 (their "vast majority") of filers "receive refunds which averaged more than $2,800."
First, this is not a "slight" reduction. According to the TIGTA report, this applies to groups of taxpayers who are ineligible for the credit in $200 to $1,000 increments. Hardly slight for the middle class taxpayer it was intended to help.
Second, the fact that 3/4 of filers receive a tax refund is a red herring. Whether it's coming out of a paycheck or coming out of a refund check, it's still coming out of the taxpayer's pocket.
Third, yes, the average tax refund check is probably more than $2,800 - including those in the higher income brackets who, if they receive a refund, probably drive up the average. And they never qualified for the credit.
Fourth, they got other credits for buying appliances, and cars and first-time homes (Really? You want to bring that up?) so they probably won't notice a few hundred dollars missing from their refund.
There's more but I'm dizzy.
Posted by: John Kelly | Tuesday, November 17, 2009 at 01:47 PM
I strongly suspect this will get a lot of attention in coming weeks. @Rick: Not surprising people didn't notice an extra $12 in their paychecks but they will notice when they owe the IRS $300 in January.
TIGTA's recommendations are silly:
1. Media coverage (announce to the world that 15M middle class taxpayers have to pay back the relief they thought they were getting).
2. IRS withholding calculator (recalculate your withholding, submit new W-4 to payroll, hope paycheck is adjusted in the next 5 weeks).
Posted by: John Kelly | Tuesday, November 17, 2009 at 10:35 AM
During one our 2009 tax updates classes, I was surprised how many people didn't even notice the change in their paycheck when this went into effect last Spring. I did of course ask the question whether everyone was getting paid more than me. But if a group of tax preparers aren't aware of the problem, some of the more complicated situtations you listed above are certainly going over the head of the average worker. The intended stimulus may turn into a May 2010 anti-stimulus. Great post!
Posted by: Rick | Monday, November 16, 2009 at 07:22 PM
Thanks, John, for the quick math!
Posted by: Kay @ Don't Mess With Taxes | Monday, November 16, 2009 at 05:18 PM
Then it would appear that the Making Work Pay Credit has about a 10% error rate (putting it on par with the homebuyer credit). The report also indicates that the errors $200-400 range and will result in a $4 billion hit on filers next year. All back of the envelope.
Posted by: John Kelly | Monday, November 16, 2009 at 04:53 PM