Editorial & Verification Policy
1. Primary sources only for rates
We do not write tax rates, brackets, caps, fees, or carrier prices from memory, blogs, or AI recall. Shipped values live in versioned data files and must cite a primary source (for example an IRS Revenue Procedure or Notice, SSA publication, GSA table, USPS Notice 123, or an official marketplace/processor fee page) plus a verification date. When a secondary summary disagrees with the primary document, the primary document wins.
2. Golden tests for math
Shared engines and each tool ship unit tests that lock worked examples (“goldens”). If output disagrees with a golden, we fix the code — we do not edit the golden to match buggy output. Intermediate rounding is avoided; display rounding happens at the end.
3. YMYL / tax gating
Tools that output federal tax estimates are treated as Your Money or Your Life (YMYL) content.
They carry an on-page “estimate only — not tax advice” disclaimer and remain excluded from the
public directory and sitemap (noindex) until a licensed CPA or Enrolled Agent reviews
the constants, formulas, and presentation. Open questions (for example QBI SSTB treatment above
the phase-in range) are documented for that review and are not “resolved” by inventing an answer.
4. Scope honesty
Each tool states what it models and what it does not (for example Amazon FBA fees, eBay store tiers, USPS weight/zone rates, or state income tax). We prefer a narrower correct tool over a broader implied one.
5. Update cadence
Federal tax constants are re-verified against primary sources every Nov–Jan for the new tax year and before any public launch. Fee and shipping tables are re-checked when the publisher announces a change, and at least annually. Tool pages surface a “rates verified <date>” stamp where applicable.
6. Corrections
When we find an error, we correct the data or code, add or adjust tests where needed, and record the change in our audit notes. Material corrections to published tax constants are also noted in the constants file’s metadata.
7. No fake authority signals
We do not invent reviewer names, star ratings, or “as seen in” claims. When a CPA/EA review is complete, we will name that reviewer and date on the relevant pages. Until then, tax tools stay gated.