How Our Calculators Work

How the calculators work

Each tool answers one question with a fixed formula. You enter a few numbers, the tool applies the official rules for the current tax year, and it shows the result along with the key steps. Calculators return a dollar estimate, such as self-employment tax, the tax on a sale, or a breakeven rate. Estimators score readiness or compare paths, such as EB-5 capital against the minimums or how an EB-2 case lines up. All calculations run in your browser.

Data sources

We take figures only from primary or authoritative sources, and each tool page lists the ones it uses:

• IRS: annual inflation adjustments (for 2026, Rev. Proc. 2025-32), retirement plan limits (Notice 2025-67), publications and form instructions
• Social Security Administration: payroll tax rates and the Social Security wage base
• USCIS and the U.S. Department of Labor: immigration rules, filing fees (Form G-1055) and policy guidance
• U.S. Department of Education: federal student loan limits and repayment plans
• State revenue departments and the Tax Foundation: state income and sales tax rates

Update schedule

• Each November to January: we update every tool for the new tax year as the IRS and SSA publish their figures.
• When rules change mid-year: for example new USCIS fees, sales tax rate changes, or new legislation. We update the affected tools when the change takes effect.
• Quarterly: we review each tool's sources and its "Reviewed for" line.

How we check a tool

Before a tool goes live, and again after every update, we run it against worked examples taken from IRS, SSA or USCIS publications. We also check edge cases: zero income, amounts above the wage base, the top brackets, and the investment minimums. Every change is checked against its source before it's published. When a figure changes mid-year, the page says which date it applies from (for example, USCIS fees effective November 30, 2026).

Guides

Our guides explain the rules behind the calculators in plain English and link to the tool that fits. They follow the same sources and review schedule.

Limits

The tools model the common case. They don't see your whole tax return, and they usually don't model every credit, the alternative minimum tax (except where stated), itemized deductions, multi-state allocation, or every special rule. State estimates generally use simplified rates. Immigration estimators don't predict USCIS decisions. Results are estimates for planning, not filings, and not tax, legal or immigration advice.