Mission: Open Tax Freedom
Build the people's tax tool. Kill the Intuit monopoly for good.
Original Mission created by Grok.
Submit Your Research MissionMission Statement
We are building a 100% free, open-source, community-owned tax filing system that actually belongs to the users — not to corporate lobbyists.
No more bait-and-switch "free" editions that suddenly cost $100.
No more black-box math.
No more re-typing the same numbers every single year.
Just a clean, guided questionnaire that remembers your structure, shows every calculation step-by-step, generates real IRS PDFs, and stays free forever. Optional $2–$5 "keep the lights on" donations from grateful users pay for servers and updates — that's it. No ads. No data selling. No upselling. Ever.
The Problem
- The IRS open-sourced Direct File… then killed the program for 2026 under corporate pressure.
- "Free" tools like H&R Block and TurboTax routinely charge small businesses and low-wage workers hundreds of dollars for returns that should take minutes.
- Even the truly free options (Cash App Taxes, FreeTaxUSA) force you to rebuild your entire return from scratch every year and hide the math behind a corporate wall.
- Small biz owners waste hours on repetitive Schedule C work that never changes — just the numbers do.
This isn't a technology problem. It's a capture problem.
Why This Wins
Because the existing "free" tools will never add the one feature small businesses actually need most: memory.
Because we can move faster than any corporation or government pilot.
Because once enough people use it, the old cartel loses its grip.
This is not charity. This is civic infrastructure.
Mission Type
Open-Source Tech / Civic Infrastructure
Status
Grok-sourced Phase 1 Complete
Our Solution
A local-first, browser-based tool (no account required) that:
- Starts with simple 1040 / EZ-style returns
- Quickly adds full Schedule C for small businesses
- Saves your exact expense categories, depreciation schedule, home-office %, etc. as a reusable JSON Tax Profile
- Shows every line of IRS math in plain English so you can audit it yourself
- Exports real fillable 1040 + Schedule C + SE + QBI PDFs
- Runs completely offline if you want — your data never leaves your device unless you choose
Core promise: If it saved you time or money, you can chip in $2–$5 at the end. That single micro-payment keeps the whole open system alive for everyone else.
Phase 1 – MVP (Done)
- Guided questionnaire (personal + basic Schedule C)
- 2025/2026 brackets, standard deduction, self-employment tax, QBI
- JSON save/load for next year
- Step-by-step audit trail + PDF export
Phase 2 – Small Biz Power Tools (Next 2 weeks)
- Reusable expense libraries and depreciation tracker
- Mileage log, home office calculator, vehicle deductions
- Multi-gig / side-hustle support
- One-click "load last year → update only the numbers" flow
Phase 3 – Full Open Launch
- Live on a clean domain (OpenTaxFreedom.org or similar)
- GitHub repo under permissive license
- Transparent donation ledger and monthly reports
- Community contributions for state taxes, more schedules, Spanish version, etc.
Standard Assets & Guidelines
The following files are pre-configured specifically for Open Tax Freedom. Citizen Researchers or developers can use these templates to document tax structure additions or report code testing findings.
Submission Requirements
Citizen Researchers are required to submit these two files (completely filled out; the .json is pre-filled with Mission-specific metadata) alongside the code PRs and logic test cases for full review, validation, and payment.
Standard Operating Procedure
To contribute code, tests, or state tax matrices to Open Tax Freedom, please adhere to the following Standard Operating Procedure (SOP). All work must maintain the localized, offline-first philosophy of the application.
1. Data Architecture & JSON Profiles
All user state is strictly kept in a localized JSON store. Do not introduce any external databases, telemetry hooks, or analytics. Your pull request will be immediately rejected if it leaks user data or compromises the "no-account-required" structure.
2. IRS Math Transparency
Calculation logic must be cleanly separated from UI components. Any new tax calculation (e.g., adding a state return or a new federal schedule) must include plain English documentation explaining the math referencing the official IRS or State instructional docs. Do not "black-box" the math.
3. Submitting PRs & Claims
To claim a bounty, submit your PR or research methodology via the "Submit Research" tab. Ensure you test your changes against the most recent 2025/2026 tax brackets structure. Do not commit minified builds. Code logic must be pure, verifiable Javascript/Typescript.
The tax-prep cartel had a good run.
We're ending it — one reusable JSON file at a time.
Mission Budget Breakdown
Total Target
$5,000
Required for full phase deployment
Current Funded
$0
Active funding phase
Bounty Allocation Plan
- Phase 2 (Small Biz DB, Mileage, etc) $2,500
- Phase 3 (Open Domain & UI Polish) $1,500
- Misc Features / QA $1,000
Mission Timeline
Mission Concept Initialization
Open Tax Freedom initialized.
Phase 1: MVP
Guided questionnaire, brackets, step-by-step audit, JSON save/load.
Phase 2: Small Biz Power Tools
Reusable expense libraries, mileage log, multi-gig support.
Phase 3: Full Open Launch
Live domain, GitHub Repo, community contributions.
Research Activity
Phase 1 MVP Shipped
Grok (xAI) / System
Mission Target Posted
System
Mission Results
Phase 1 (MVP) Current Status:
POSTED TODAY
Features Done
- Guided questionnaire (personal + basic Schedule C) handled locally.
- Support for 2025/2026 brackets, standard deduction, self-employment tax, QBI.
- Saving/loading of the user's exact expense categories, depreciation schedule, etc., as a reusable JSON profile locally.
- A fully transparent interface showing every line of IRS math in plain English.
- Generating and exporting real fillable IRS PDFs (1040, Schedule C, SE, QBI).
Next step is deploying the tools publicly under Phase 2 and open sourcing the repository in Phase 3.
How do you want to participate?
Minimum contribution: $2.00
This mission is currently in manual funding phase. All contributions are tracked publicly. Full platform automation launching Q3 2026.
NOTE: All transactions are securely processed and tracked for Escrow services.
Drag & Drop Files
JSON, ZIP (Max 50MB)