| name | opentaxsolver |
| description | Prepare and compute tax forms using OpenTaxSolver (OTS) v23.06 for Tax Year 2025. Create and edit input files, run solvers, and generate filled PDF forms. Supports US 1040, Schedule C, Schedule SE, MI-1040, and other forms. Use when asked to prepare taxes, fill out tax forms, run tax calculations, or generate tax PDFs with OpenTaxSolver. |
OpenTaxSolver (OTS)
Installed at: ~/.local/share/OpenTaxSolver/
Version: v23.06 (Tax Year 2025)
How OTS Works
- Create an input file from a template (plain text with line entries)
- Run the solver to compute tax amounts
- Output goes to a
_out.txt file with computed results
- Optionally generate a filled PDF using
universal_pdf_file_modifier
Directory Layout
~/.local/share/OpenTaxSolver/
bin/ # Solver binaries
tax_form_files/ # Templates and examples per form
US_1040/ # Federal 1040
US_1040_Sched_C/ # Schedule C (Business income)
US_1040_Sched_SE/ # Schedule SE (Self-employment tax)
MI_1040/ # Michigan state
... (AZ, CA, MA, NC, NJ, NY, OH, OR, PA, VA, Form_*)
Available Solvers
| Form | Binary | Template |
|---|
| US 1040 | bin/taxsolve_US_1040_2025 | tax_form_files/US_1040/US_1040_template.txt |
| Schedule C | bin/taxsolve_US_1040_Sched_C_2025 | tax_form_files/US_1040_Sched_C/US_1040Sched_C_2025_template.txt |
| Schedule SE | bin/taxsolve_US_1040_Sched_SE_2025 | tax_form_files/US_1040_Sched_SE/US_1040_Sched_SE_template.txt |
| MI 1040 | bin/taxsolve_MI_1040_2025 | tax_form_files/MI_1040/MI_1040_2024_template.txt |
| Form 8829 | bin/taxsolve_f8829_2025 | tax_form_files/Form_8829/ |
| Form 8889 (HSA) | bin/taxsolve_HSA_f8889 | tax_form_files/HSA_Form_8889/ |
| Form 8995 (QBI) | bin/taxsolve_f8995_2025 | tax_form_files/Form_8995/ |
| Form 2210 | bin/taxsolve_f2210_2025 | tax_form_files/Form_2210/ |
Workflow
1. Create Input File
Copy a template and fill in values. The format uses line labels followed by values:
Status Single { Single, Married/Joint, Head_of_House, Married/Sep, Widow(er) }
L1a 50000.00 { Wages }
;
L2b 1200.00 { Taxable Interest }
;
- Values go after the line label
- Multiple entries for the same line end with
;
- Comments are in
{ curly braces }
- Leave lines blank or at 0 if not applicable
2. Run the Solver
OTS=~/.local/share/OpenTaxSolver
$OTS/bin/taxsolve_US_1040_2025 my_fed1040_2025.txt
The solver reads the input file and writes a _out.txt file with all computed values.
3. Generate Filled PDF (optional)
$OTS/bin/universal_pdf_file_modifier my_fed1040_2025_out.txt
This fills in a PDF version of the tax form using the computed output.
Input File Format Details
Federal 1040 Key Lines
- Status:
Single, Married/Joint, Head_of_House, Married/Sep, Widow(er)
- L1a: Wages (W-2 box 1) — multiple entries end with
;
- L2a/L2b: Tax-exempt / Taxable interest
- L3a/L3b: Qualified / Ordinary dividends
- L4a/L4b: IRA distributions (total / taxable)
- L6a: Social Security benefits
- L25a/L25b/L25c: Federal tax withheld (W-2 / 1099 / other)
- L26: Estimated tax payments
- S1_3: Business income from Schedule C
- S1_15: Deductible part of self-employment tax (from Schedule SE)
- S1_16: Self-employed SEP/SIMPLE/qualified plans
- S1_17: Self-employed health insurance deduction
- S2_4: Self-employment tax (from Schedule SE)
- CapGains-A/D through CapGains-I/L: Capital gains entries
- A1-A18: Schedule A itemized deductions
- Personal info:
Your1stName, YourLastName, YourSocSec#, address fields
Schedule C Key Lines
- L1: Gross receipts — multiple entries end with
;
- L8-L27a: Expense categories (advertising, car, contract labor, insurance, office, rent, supplies, taxes, travel, meals, utilities, wages, etc.)
- L30: Business use of home (Form 8829)
- L44a-L44c: Vehicle miles (business, commuting, other)
- L48a-L48i: Other expenses (description + amount pairs)
Schedule SE Key Lines
- L2: Net profit/loss from Schedule C line 31
- L5a: Church employee income
- L8a: Total social security wages and tips
MI 1040 Key Lines
- Status:
Single, Married/Joint, Married/Sep
- L9a-L9e: Exemptions
- L10: AGI from federal 1040
- L13: Subtractions from MI Schedule 1
- L26: Property Tax Credit
- L31: Michigan tax withheld (Schedule W)
- L32: Estimated tax payments
Order of Operations
For self-employed filing federal + Michigan:
- Schedule C first — produces net business income (line 31)
- Schedule SE — uses Schedule C line 31 to compute SE tax
- US 1040 — imports Schedule C income (S1_3) and SE tax (S2_4, S1_15)
- MI 1040 — uses federal AGI (L10) from US 1040
Tips
- Keep input files in a working directory outside the OTS install (e.g., in the Taxes 2025 project folder)
- Each template has a corresponding
_example.txt and README_*.txt for reference
- The
Round_PDF_to_Whole_Dollars option at the bottom of templates controls PDF formatting
- Output files include detailed line-by-line calculations and marginal tax bracket info
- You can reference a prior year's output file for carryover values (e.g., Schedule D line D6)
