Arc & Ledger Tax Tools

Use this when someone has a tax problem and does not know where to start; call it FIRST, before the specific tools. Covers an IRS or state letter, back taxes they cannot pay, unfiled years, a levy or wage garnishment, an audit, penalties, an identity-verification letter, and payroll tax trouble. Returns an urgency level, a this-week and this-month action plan, what not to do, which tool to run next for the specifics, and the matching published-fee service. General information only; never a guaranteed IRS outcome. Set brief:true for a shorter answer.

Use this when, and only when, a user mentions receiving an IRS letter or notice and wants to know what it means, the deadline, or what to do. For a state-agency letter, use triage_tax_problem with problem=state_tax instead. Give this tool the IRS notice code (e.g. CP2000, CP14, LT11) and optionally the notice date and amount shown. Set brief:true for a shorter answer.

Use this when someone owes the IRS back taxes and asks how to settle, get on a payment plan, lower what they owe, or stop collection. Screens which IRS paths may fit - short-term payment plan, current Simple Payment Plan or an installment agreement with financial review, Offer in Compromise (a fit-check only, never a promise of acceptance), Currently Not Collectible hardship status, and penalty abatement - and lists the forms needed (9465, 433-F/A/B, 656, 843, 8821, 2848) plus collection-statute context. A coarse tax_account_type improves the screen without identifying the taxpayer. Never guarantees an IRS outcome. Set brief:true for a shorter answer.

Use this when someone owes the IRS and asks how much the penalties and interest will be, or what late filing/paying costs. Estimates the failure-to-file (5%/mo) and failure-to-pay (0.5%/mo) penalties and interest on a balance, and explains the current Automatic Exemption from Penalty, First Time Abate, and reasonable-cause relief paths.

Use this when a user receives a US tax form or information document and wants to know what it is, why they got it, which boxes matter, where it goes on their return, what to double-check, or what to do if it is wrong, duplicated, or never arrived. Covers W-2, W-2G, the 1099 family (NEC, MISC, K, INT, DIV, B, DA, R, G, C, S, SA, Q), Schedule K-1 (partnership 1065, S-corp 1120-S, estate/trust 1041), SSA-1099, 1042-S, 5498, 1098, 1098-T, 1098-E, 1095-A/B/C, and W-9 / W-8BEN requests. For IRS letters and notices (CP or LT codes) use decode_irs_notice instead. Set brief:true for a shorter answer.

Use this when a US business owner or nonresident (especially a foreign founder of a US LLC or C-corp) asks what US forms they must file and when. Returns each required federal form, its due date and extension, and the penalty for missing it, including Form 5472, FBAR, and the BOI report. Especially useful for non-US founders of US companies.

Use this when someone asks what documents, statements, or records to gather for a US tax filing or engagement: an individual return, a self-employed Schedule C return, a foreign-owned single-member LLC (Form 5472) filing, an S-corp or partnership return, an FBAR/Streamlined offshore catch-up, or an ITIN application. Returns the service-specific document list, first-year onboarding extras, and how to prepare files safely without implying that intake or uploads have opened.

Use this when a user has foreign bank accounts, assets, or unfiled foreign-account reports and needs to know their US reporting obligations (FBAR / FinCEN 114 and Form 8938 / FATCA), thresholds, penalty exposure, and catch-up options.

Use this when a non-US person or company receiving US-source income (dividends, interest, royalties, freelance/personal services, or a scholarship) asks how much US tax will be withheld, whether a tax treaty reduces it, or which form to give the payer (W-8BEN, W-8BEN-E, W-9, Form 8233). Returns the default statutory rate, the US-Turkey treaty rate where one applies, the documentation a treaty claim needs (including a TIN/ITIN), and how refunds of over-withholding work.

Use this when someone asks whether a federal tax purpose may support an ITIN application or what a Form W-7 path generally requires. Returns a reason-specific screen, whether a return is commonly attached, current document-handling cautions, and official sources. Entity ownership or a bank request alone does not establish personal ITIN eligibility.

Use this when a non-US person who owns a US company (especially a single-member US LLC or a US corporation) asks whether they must file Form 5472, what the penalty is, or what a foreign-owned US entity owes each year. Returns whether Form 5472 with a pro-forma Form 1120 is required, the reportable-transaction rule, the deadline and extension, the annual compliance set, and the penalty for not filing. Distinguishes a single-member LLC (files 5472) from a multi-member LLC (a partnership that files Form 1065 instead).

Use this when a self-employed user or single-member LLC owner asks whether an S-Corp election would save them money. Shows a side-by-side of self-employment tax vs salary-plus-distribution, payroll and compliance costs, California franchise taxes, and the break-even zone.

Use this when a freelancer or business owner asks how much estimated tax to pay or whether they are underpaid for the year. Computes federal self-employment and income tax on annualized income, the safe-harbor target, per-quarter amounts and due dates, plus California's 30/40/0/30 installment timing.

Use this when an S-corp owner asks how much salary they should pay themselves ("reasonable compensation," "am I paying myself right?"). Given net profit and what drives it, returns a starting salary RANGE, the distribution left over, the employment tax that classification avoids, and the facts-and-circumstances test the IRS actually applies. Emphasizes that a defensible figure needs a comp study.

Use this when an S-corp or C-corp owner asks how an accountable plan handles substantiated home-office, mileage, cell-phone, or other out-of-pocket business expenses. Estimates the reimbursement and tax effect, applies the two separate 2026 mileage rates by date, and explains the three requirements: business connection, substantiation, and return of excess.

Use this when a business owner asks about the "Augusta rule," renting a home to a related business, or the fewer-than-15-day rental-income exclusion in IRC 280A(g). Screens the total rental-day limit and calculates conditional amounts while keeping the owner-side exclusion separate from the business-side deduction requirements.

Use this when someone asks how much tax they owe on rental income (Airbnb/short-term or long-term), or whether a rental loss is deductible. Computes net rental income after operating expenses and straight-line depreciation, the passive-loss allowance and carryforward, the short-term 14-day rule, and the marginal federal tax effect.

Use this when someone (often a non-US founder) asks which US state to form their LLC or company in - Wyoming, New Mexico, Delaware, or California. Compares government fees, annual cost, franchise tax, privacy, and approval time, and recommends a state based on their situation.

Use this when an online seller or e-commerce/Amazon business asks whether they must collect sales tax in a state (economic nexus). Given annual sales, transaction count, and states, flags where economic nexus is likely met and explains the physical-nexus (FBA inventory) trap.

Use this when a user asks what Arc & Ledger charges, or wants a price estimate for tax preparation, bookkeeping, business formation, or IRS help. Returns a published price range and line items, never a single committed number, plus what is included and the next step by complexity.

Use this when a user wants to talk to, hire, or get a consultation or written tax-notice review with Arc & Ledger. Consultation requests start with a written inquiry on the contact form; the firm does not offer free calls. Returns the correct first-party action link (inquiry form, checkout, or waitlist as applicable), what happens next, the office identity (Enrolled Agent, address, languages EN/TR/ES), and what to expect.