Plain-English guides, working calculators, and a 200+ term glossary built for students, freelancers, small business owners, and anyone who wants to feel confident about American taxes.
Every topic is explained in plain language with real-world examples — no jargon, no sales pitch.
How federal income tax brackets, withholding, and your W-2 actually work.
Browse articles →Quarterly estimates, 1099 basics, and the deductions independent workers miss.
Browse articles →Entity choice, pass-through taxation, and bookkeeping habits that save money at filing time.
Browse articles →Standard vs itemized, EITC, Child Tax Credit, and the credits people leave on the table.
Browse articles →Short vs long term, wash-sale rules, and how brokerage 1099s flow into your return.
Browse articles →How state and local tax (SALT) interacts with your federal return, plus property tax basics.
Browse articles →Ten free, in-browser calculators with input validation and clear assumptions. No accounts, no data collection.
Federal income tax estimator using current brackets.
Open →From gross to take-home, including FICA.
Open →Annual, monthly, biweekly net pay with pre-tax deductions.
Open →Social Security + Medicare for 1099 income.
Open →Short and long-term gain estimator.
Open →Add or back-out sales tax at any rate.
Open →Employer + employee FICA breakdown.
Open →Quick estimate of your potential refund.
Open →Effective vs marginal rate calculator.
Open →Add or back-out VAT for international purchases.
Open →Forty-five in-depth guides are on the way. Here is a preview of the first few topics.
A simple, visual explanation of marginal rates and why moving into a new bracket does not lower your take-home pay.
When to pay, how to estimate, and how to avoid the underpayment penalty without overpaying the IRS all year.
A practical framework for deciding which path is right for your situation, with worked examples.
A growing glossary of 200+ terms, each with a plain-English definition, example, and related concepts.
Adjusted Gross Income — your total income minus specific adjustments. It is the starting point for most deductions and credits.
The tax rate applied to your last dollar of income — not your whole income.
An information return used to report non-employee income such as freelance payments or interest.