Terms of Use
DRAFT, pending legal review. This page has not been reviewed by counsel and is reconciled with the final site before promotion. Items marked [TO CONFIRM: ...] are not yet sourced.
Last updated: [TO CONFIRM: effective date]
The short version
The Paycheck Dial is a free calculator that compares a Schedule C business with an S-corp for tax year 2026, using the numbers you enter. Every result is an estimate, and the methods are intentionally simplified. It is not tax, legal, financial or accounting advice, and it is not a substitute for an in-depth reasonable-compensation analysis. You are responsible for the numbers you enter and for decisions you make from what you see.
What the service is
You enter revenue, expenses, wages paid to others, other income, filing status, industry, location and, optionally, your hours and how your time is split. The page estimates federal income tax and self-employment or payroll tax under each structure, shows a range for owner pay with a slider between a conservative and an aggressive estimate, and, where it applies, the owner wage at which the wage limit on the qualified business income deduction and 20 percent of that income are equal. State income and payroll taxes are not calculated, and the location you enter is used only to look up wages. It is not a tax return and does not cover itemized deductions, credits, alternative minimum tax, more than one owner or business, or the steps to form a company or elect S-corp status.
Estimates and simplified methods
All results are estimates for tax year 2026. Neither the Schedule C nor the S-corp scenario is a substitute for an in-depth reasonable-compensation analysis, or for advice from a tax professional who knows your facts. The methods are intentionally simplified to be useful before you spend money on a full analysis. The conservative estimate uses published wages for a comparable job, and the aggressive estimate weights published wages by the time you say you spend on each kind of work. The aggressive end is the most aggressive documented-time approach in this tool, is not a recommendation, and neither end is a safe harbor. Wage data covers employees only and is capped at about $239,200 a year, and our match of industries to occupations is a judgment. The full disclosures on the page form part of these Terms.
Not advice, and no recommendation
Nothing on this site is tax, legal, financial or accounting advice, and using it does not create an advisory relationship with Tax Sherpa. The tool does not say that any salary is correct or reasonable, and does not recommend an entity type or any amount of tax savings. Any salary an owner pays is the owner's decision, to be made with a qualified tax professional and supported by records of the owner's duties, hours and the facts of the business. Talk to a qualified tax professional about your situation before you rely on any estimate.
Your numbers, and the emailed results
The figures you type in are processed in your browser. If you choose the optional email and tick the consent box, the figures shown and the four dollar amounts you entered are sent to our contact system, emailed to you, and kept until you ask us to delete them or you unsubscribe. The emailed figures are estimates under these same Terms, not advice. The same consent also lets us send you tax tools, news and invitations. See the Privacy Policy for exactly what is sent and kept, and for the analytics and advertising tools on this site.
Acceptable use
Do not use the site to interfere with its operation, to attempt to access anything that is not yours, to submit an email address that is not yours, or to copy or resell the tool. We may block use that breaks these Terms.
No warranty
The Paycheck Dial is provided “as is.” We make no guarantee that its estimates are complete, accurate, current or fit for any particular purpose. Tax rules and figures change, and the estimates are for tax year 2026 only.
Limitation of liability
To the maximum extent permitted by law, Online Tax Solutions Group LLC (dba Tax Sherpa) is not liable for any indirect, incidental or consequential damages arising from your use of the Paycheck Dial, including penalties, interest, or decisions made based on its estimates. [TO CONFIRM: liability cap wording for a free tool]
Changes to the service or these Terms
We may update these Terms, or change, suspend or discontinue the tool, at any time. The “Last updated” date shows the latest revision.
Governing law
These Terms are governed by the laws of the State of Georgia, without regard to its conflict-of-law principles. [TO CONFIRM: venue]
Who we are / Contact us
Operated by Online Tax Solutions Group LLC, doing business as Tax Sherpa, 2302 Parklake Dr NE, Ste 675, Atlanta, GA 30345. Questions: write to the office email address published on taxsherpa.com, or by mail at the address above.