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.
"But the compact of living in a society requires that sometimes we get things (and elected officials) we don't want. Here's to the day we can all afford our own private islands! ;-)"
LOL - I totally agree!
Posted by: Amy | Wednesday, October 06, 2010 at 06:21 PM
"And I'm very leery of, actually frightened by, people who make up their minds and never listen to the other side. Things change. Circumstances change. Needs change. People change. Being able to listen to differing opinions is crucial to being flexible when change needs to be made. "
I totally agree. However, I have met people who actively solicit a diversity of opinions but then disregard them completely if they don't match their own. In other words, they have all the appearance of open mindedness, think of themselves as such, but the reality is they've made up their mind long before you've met them. They are looking only for a confirmation of their opinions from others.
And truthfully, those situations were by far the worst I've been in a work situation. I've been subtly punished for the "wrong" answer (by my freely stating my opinion) and then alternately made responsible when I didn't speak up after figuring out the score. (It's an "open" environment after all.) It would not completely shock me to find out that perhaps Obama runs his office that way and it's the reason he's having a hard time keeping staff.
In fairness, I have never met Bush or Obama. All have is 3rd hand reports about them, which always tell me more about the person writing or speaking than it does about the object being written or spoken about.
I do know that Bush was the media's devil of the last 8 years for not being "open". However, I noticed his turn over was very low and he did manage to attract a fair amount of minority help, especially in Condoleezza Rice. He may not have been "open", but it may have set a consistent set of rules that reasonably competent people were willing to work under.
On the other hand, Obama has been hailed for his openness but he doesn't seem to generate any deep loyalty on a personal level from his staff. He also doesn't waiver much from standard Democratic or economic thinking and seems to offer few really alternative ideas.
Again, it's important to say that without spending time with them personally, on their staff, it's really pretty much impossible for me to judge. I'm just throwing out the other side to the mass thinking of both gentlemen, perhaps making both of them people who put their pants on one leg at a time. ;)
Posted by: Amy | Wednesday, October 06, 2010 at 06:19 PM
As for the services we don't want, welcome to living in a society. We don't all need or want the same things at the same time, but we or someone we know or are related to might. If not now, perhaps one day. Life has a funny way of deciding things for us that way. I wish I could direct my taxes to go only for certain things; many of them likely would not be services you want or need. But the compact of living in a society requires that sometimes we get things (and elected officials) we don't want. Here's to the day we can all afford our own private islands! ;-)
Posted by: Kay | Tuesday, October 05, 2010 at 09:37 PM
Amy, maybe it's the reporter in me, but I like seeing all sides of an issue. No change once, doesn't mean no change ever. And I'm very leery of, actually frightened by, people who make up their minds and never listen to the other side. Things change. Circumstances change. Needs change. People change. Being able to listen to differing opinions is crucial to being flexible when change needs to be made. Kay
Posted by: Kay | Tuesday, October 05, 2010 at 09:34 PM
"One thing I like about Obama is the fact that he likes to keep a devil's advocate or two around. Even if he isn't persuaded by their points of view, he at least gets them."
Sounds disingenuous to me. What's the point of hearing alternatives if you are never persuaded to act on them? Surround yourself with "yes" men and get at the point. At least everyone knows the score in that situation. ;)
"Also, the prez noted that to cover the cost of keeping the low tax rates for the wealthy could mean fewer government services enjoyed by middle- and lower-income taxpayers."
What if we don't want the services? Hmmm... ;)
Posted by: Amy | Tuesday, October 05, 2010 at 07:30 PM