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. Ret

Use this when a user mentions receiving an IRS or state tax letter or notice and wants to know what it means, the deadline, or what to do. Give it the 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-c

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 Aba

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

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

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

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

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 a

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-t

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-c

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:

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

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

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 with Arc & Ledger. Returns the correct first-party booking link, what happens next, the office identity (Enrolled Agent, address, languages EN/TR/ES), and what to expect.