Calculate Taxes

Calculate Taxes Skill

When to use this skill

Use this skill when the user asks to calculate, estimate, or review taxes based on income data, deductions, or filing status.

How to calculate taxes

1. Gather the required inputs from the user:

   • Gross income
   • Filing status (single, married filing jointly, married filing separately, head of household)
   • Applicable deductions (standard or itemized)
   • Jurisdiction (e.g., US federal, state)

2. You MUST run the bundled Python script to compute the result. Do not calculate taxes yourself — always use the script.

   • The activate_skill response includes a scripts_path field containing the absolute path to the scripts directory.
   • Call the bash tool with the command: python3 {scripts_path}/calculate_taxes.py {gross_income} {filing_status}
   • Do not set the cwd parameter — it is not needed when using an absolute script path.
   • If the script returns an error, report the exact error to the user. Do not fall back to manual calculation.

3. Return the results clearly, including:

   • Taxable income
   • Estimated tax owed
   • Effective tax rate
   • Net income after tax

Example

Input:

• Gross income: $80,000
• Filing status: single
• Standard deduction: $14,600 (2024 US federal)

Output:

• Taxable income: $65,400
• Estimated federal tax: ~$10,294
• Effective rate: ~12.9%
• Net income: ~$69,706

Common edge cases

• If the user doesn't specify filing status, ask for clarification before proceeding.
• Self-employment income requires additional SE tax calculation (15.3% on net SE income).
• State taxes vary significantly — confirm jurisdiction before computing.

Source: chrispyers/openkiwi — distributed by TomeVault.