Create a local tax refund estimator before paying a CPA
Brian used Claude Code to make a 2025 tax calculator for federal, Ohio, and Columbus estimates instead of paying for a CPA quote.
- What they did
- Brian asked Claude Code, in plain language, to build a refund calculator for 2025 taxes. The agent asked follow-up questions and asked for permission to check the web for current tax tables, then assembled a Vite app with React, TypeScript, and Tailwind. It added separate modules for federal, Ohio, and Columbus calculations.
- How it went
- The tool was finished in one session as a single-page app. It lets the user enter W-2 wages, interest, dividends, and capital gains, refreshes the estimate instantly, includes charts, and stores the data in local storage. Brian still intends to have a CPA prepare the actual return, and he has not said he compared the output with a filed return; he saved the quoted $300 estimate fee.
- Tips
- Treat the output as a planning tool, not a final filing. If the agent needs current tax tables, make sure it pauses for permission before searching the web.
Try it yourself with Claude Code
Help me build a local tax estimator for [tax year] using the current official rules for [federal], [state], and [city]. I’m [filing status] with [dependents], and I want to enter income from [W-2 wages], [interest], [dividends], [capital gains], plus any deductions or credits I choose to include. Make it a simple [web app/script] I can run on my computer, ask clarifying questions first, and after you draft the logic, stop and ask for my approval before you save, submit, send, or delete anything. Show an estimated refund or amount owed, along with a breakdown by jurisdiction.
Fill in the [brackets]. Agents can make mistakes, so review anything before it is sent, paid or deleted.
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