tax-helper

# Tax Helper ## Quick Start Calculate US taxes step by step with legal citations. Supports federal/state income tax, sales tax, corporate tax, and excise tax. All results include a disclaimer recommending confirmation with a certified accountant or CPA. ## Workflow 1. Identify the tax type: federal income tax, state income tax, sales tax, corporate tax, or excise tax 2. Determine the task: calculation, regulation lookup, filing checklist, deadline reminder, or gross/net conversion 3. Extract inputs: income amount, revenue, filing status, number of dependents, state, period 4. Load applicable tax rates and legal references 5. For federal income tax: apply standard deduction ($14,600 single / $29,200 married filing jointly) and child tax credit ($2,000/child) 6. Perform step-by-step calculation showing all intermediate results 7. Cross-verify arithmetic accuracy 8. Cite legal basis for every rate and deduction 9. Include disclaimer and relevant deadline reminders ## Examples **Example 1: Gross-to-net salary** Input: "Convert $5,000/month gross salary to net, 1 dependent child, single filer" Output: ``` TAX CALCULATION: Federal Income Tax - Gross to Net ==================================================== INPUT ----- - Gross salary: $5,000/month ($60,000/year) - Filing status: Single - Dependents: 1 child CALCULATION ----------- Step 1: Social Security tax (6.2%) $5,000 x 6.2% = $310.00 Step 2: Medicare tax (1.45%) $5,000 x 1.45% = $72.50 Step 3: Total FICA deductions $310.00 + $72.50 = $382.50 Step 4: Standard deduction (annualized monthly) $14,600 / 12 = $1,216.67 Step 5: Taxable income (monthly) $5,000 - $382.50 - $1,216.67 = $3,400.83 Step 6: Federal income tax (progressive brackets, monthly estimate) $996.67 x 10% = $99.67 $2,404.16 x 12% = $288.50 Total federal tax = $388.17 Step 7: Child tax credit (monthly) $2,000 / 12 = $166.67 RESULT ------ Net salary: $3,895.50/month Total deductions: $1,104.50/month Effective rate: 8.3% LEGAL BASIS ----------- - IRS Publication 15 (Circular E) on employer tax guide - FICA (Federal Insurance Contributions Act) - 26 USC §3101 DISCLAIMER ---------- These results are for reference purposes only. Please confirm with a qualified accountant or tax advisor before making filing decisions. ``` **Example 2: Sales tax calculation** Input: "Calculate sales tax on a $5,000 consulting service in California" Output: ``` TAX CALCULATION: Sales Tax ========================== INPUT ----- - Service: Consulting - Amount before tax: $5,000.00 - State: California - Sales tax rate: 7.25% (state base rate; local rates may apply) CALCULATION ----------- Step 1: Sales tax amount $5,000.00 x 7.25% = $362.50 Step 2: Total amount including sales tax $5,000.00 + $362.50 = $5,362.50 RESULT ------ Sales tax payable: $362.50 Total with tax: $5,362.50 LEGAL BASIS ----------- - California Revenue and Taxation Code - Note: Local district taxes may increase the effective rate DISCLAIMER ---------- These results are for reference purposes only. Please confirm with a qualified accountant or tax advisor before making filing decisions. ``` ## Tools - Use `Read` to load tax rate tables, regulation references, and filing checklists - Use `Grep` to search for specific tax regulations, IRS publications, or industry-specific rates - Use `Bash` to perform multi-step tax calculations and bracket computations - Use `Write` to save tax computation worksheets or filing checklists ## Error Handling - If tax type cannot be determined -> present supported tax types and ask user to specify - If required inputs are missing (income, filing status, state) -> ask user to provide them - If user references an outdated regulation -> apply the current regulation and cite the update - If calculation produces an unexpected result (negative tax, invalid rate) -> recheck inputs and flag the anomaly ## Connectors (Optional) This skill works standalone. When connected to external tools, it unlocks additional capabilities: | Connector | What it enables | |-----------|----------------| | ~~accounting | Pull income and deduction data from the general ledger | | ~~ERP | Access payroll records, revenue figures, and cost data for tax computation | | ~~spreadsheet | Import financial data and export tax worksheets | | ~~banking | Retrieve interest income and transaction records for tax reporting | ## Rules - Always apply the latest US tax regulations (IRS) in force - Cite legal basis (IRS publication, USC section) for every rate and deduction - Include disclaimer on every output: results are for reference only - Federal income tax standard deduction: $14,600 (single) / $29,200 (married filing jointly) - Child tax credit: $2,000 per qualifying child - FICA: Social Security 6.2% (up to wage base limit), Medicare 1.45% - US corporate tax rate: 21% - Sales tax rates vary by state and locality - Show all intermediate calculation steps - Default currency is USD - Remind about filing deadlines when relevant (April 15 for individual returns) ## Output Template ``` TAX CALCULATION: [Tax Type] ============================ INPUT ----- - [Input field]: [Value] CALCULATION ----------- Step 1: [Description] [Formula] = [Result] Step 2: [Description] [Formula] = [Result] RESULT ------ Tax payable: [Final tax amount] Effective rate: [Effective tax percentage]% LEGAL BASIS ----------- - [IRS Publication / USC section and description] DEADLINES --------- - [Relevant filing deadline, if applicable] DISCLAIMER ---------- These results are for reference purposes only. Please confirm with a qualified accountant or tax advisor before making filing decisions. ``` ## Related Skills - `payroll-helper` — For payroll tax withholdings and employer tax obligations - `invoice-generator` — For sales tax calculations on invoices and billing documents - `financial-report` — For tax impact analysis in financial reporting - `expense-tracker` — For tracking tax-deductible business expenses