| name | tax-return-analysis |
| title | Tax Return Analysis |
| description | Produces litigation-ready financial memoranda from multi-year tax returns, covering income trends, filing status changes, deduction patterns, red flags, and trustee considerations. Use when reviewing Form 1040s for bankruptcy means testing, family law support calculations, personal injury damages, or financial discovery analysis. |
| author | CaseMark |
| author_url | https://github.com/CaseMark/skills/tree/main/skills/legal/tax-return-analysis |
| license | Apache-2.0 |
| version | 0.1.0 |
| execution_mode | open |
| jurisdiction | us |
| practice | litigation |
| language | en |
Tax Return Analysis
Generates a structured financial assessment memorandum from one or more years of tax returns for litigation use.
Prerequisites
- Tax returns — Form 1040 with all schedules per year
- Legal context — proceeding type (bankruptcy, family law, personal injury, other) and taxpayer's role
- Jurisdiction — state/court for applicable thresholds (e.g., median income for means testing)
- Optional — bank statements, K-1s, business records for cross-reference
Memorandum Sections
Produce each section in order:
1. Executive Overview
2–3 paragraphs covering: taxpayer profile (individual vs. couple, occupation), income trajectory (growing/declining/volatile), significant life events reflected in returns, and bottom-line framing for the attorney.
2. Multi-Year Comparison Table
| Tax Year | Filing Status | Total Income | AGI | Tax Liability | Refund/(Owed) | Key Observations |
|---|
| per year | status | amount | amount | amount | amount | notable changes |
Follow with narrative interpreting year-over-year trends.
3. Taxpayer Identification & Status
- Names, last four SSN digits for all filers
- Filing status per year — flag changes (e.g., MFJ→MFS may signal marital discord)
- Dependents: name (last four SSN), age, relationship, status
- Note relevance to support obligations, means testing, or custody
4. Income Analysis
Address each category with context, not just amounts:
| Category | Address |
|---|
| W-2 wages | Employer, stability, year-over-year changes |
| Schedule C | Business nature, gross receipts, net profit/loss, expense ratio |
| Investment income | Interest, dividends, capital gains — asset base implications |
| Retirement distributions | Regular vs. premature; financial distress indicators |
| Social Security | Exclude from bankruptcy means test calculations |
