Frequently asked questions

No. OpenAccountants provides computation tools and educational resources, not official tax advice. The skills generate worksheets and self-review reports based on published tax rules. You should always have a qualified professional review your outputs before filing any tax return.

Licensed CPAs (Certified Public Accountants) and EAs (Enrolled Agents) review each skill section-by-section. They check the rules against current tax law, leave expert comments, and sign off with a public verification. Their names and credentials are visible on every skill they verify.

Your financial data never leaves your AI conversation. The skills are just instructions — markdown files containing tax rules and computation logic. They contain no personal information and don't transmit anything. When you upload worksheets for professional review, they're stored securely and only visible to your assigned reviewer.

Currently, OpenAccountants covers US federal tax and California state tax for freelancers, sole proprietors, and single-member LLCs. This includes Schedule C, self-employment tax, QBI deduction, estimated tax, 1099-NEC issuance, and California-specific forms (540, 568, 3853). We're expanding to more states and entity types.

Yes — the skills are fully open source. You can view the source on GitHub, open issues, submit pull requests, or write entirely new skills. All contributed skills go through the same professional verification process before being published.

For anything you plan to file, yes. The skills give you a detailed worksheet and flag potential issues, but they don't replace professional judgment. That's why we built the review system — sign up and we'll connect you with a trusted accountant in our network who can check your numbers before you file.

Traditional tax software is a black box — you enter data and get a number. OpenAccountants skills are fully transparent. Every rule cites the IRC section, every threshold is visible, and every computation step is documented. You can read the exact logic that determines each line of your return. And because the skills run in your AI agent, you can ask follow-up questions about any rule.

Every skill goes through professional verification by licensed accountants. But if you spot an issue, you can report it directly on GitHub or through the platform. Errors are treated like bugs in open-source software — they get fixed publicly and the fix is verified. The full audit trail is visible.

The skills are free and always will be. Browsing, installing, and running them in your AI agent costs nothing. If you want a real accountant to review your numbers before filing, sign up and we'll connect you with someone we trust. We're building the network now and we'll be in touch.