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Free Tax & Business Calculators | Scale CPA

Tax & Business Calculators

Free financial tools to help you make smarter business decisions. Calculate tax savings, analyze profitability, and optimize your financial strategy.

S-Corp Tax Savings Calculator

Discover how much you could save on self-employment taxes by electing S-Corporation status. Compare your current tax burden with potential S-Corp savings.

Your Tax Comparison

Sole Proprietor SE Tax $0
S-Corp SE Tax $0
Estimated SE Tax Savings $0
Talk to a CPA About S-Corp Election

When to Consider S-Corp

Generally beneficial when net profit exceeds $60,000 annually. The sweet spot is typically between $75,000-$250,000 in profit.

Reasonable Salary Rules

The IRS requires a "reasonable" W-2 salary. Industry standards suggest 40-60% of net profit, depending on your role and industry.

Election Deadline

S-Corp election must be filed by March 15th for the current tax year, or within 75 days of forming your business.

Restaurant Prime Cost Calculator

Calculate your restaurant's prime cost—your largest controllable expense. A healthy prime cost is typically 55-60% of sales.

Prime Cost Analysis

Total Prime Cost $0
Prime Cost Percentage 0%
Optimize Your Prime Costs

Ideal Prime Cost

A prime cost of 55% or less is considered excellent for most restaurants, indicating strong cost control and profitability.

What's in COGS?

COGS includes all food and beverage inventory costs, including any supplies used for packaging and serving.

What's in Labor?

Total Labor Cost is more than just wages. It should include payroll taxes, benefits, insurance, and bonuses.

Restaurant Labor Cost Calculator

Calculate your labor cost as a percentage of sales to ensure you're staffing efficiently. The industry benchmark is typically 25-35%.

Labor Cost Analysis

Labor Cost Percentage 0%
Optimize Your Labor Costs

Balancing Act

Labor cost should be balanced with your food cost. If food cost is high (35%), labor should be lower (25%) to maintain a healthy prime cost.

Improve Efficiency

Use POS data to schedule smarter, cross-train staff to handle multiple roles, and invest in tech to automate simple tasks.

Retention is Key

High employee turnover significantly increases labor costs due to recruitment and training. Investing in retention pays off.

Recipe Cost & Margin Calculator

Calculate the precise cost of a single menu item by adding up its ingredients. Use this to optimize menu pricing and profitability.


Menu Item Analysis

Total Ingredient Cost $0.00
Food Cost Percentage 0%
Gross Profit $0.00
Optimize Your Menu Pricing

Strategic Pricing

Aim for an overall menu food cost of 28-35%. Individual items can vary; balance high-cost entrees with high-margin drinks or appetizers.

Account for Waste

Remember to factor in a small percentage for waste (spoilage, mistakes) when calculating your true ingredient costs for maximum accuracy.

Engineer Your Menu

Use this data to identify your most profitable items ("stars") and feature them prominently on your menu to drive sales.

E-Commerce Profit & Margin Calculator

Estimate your net profit and margin per product sold after accounting for all ecommerce costs including marketplace fees, shipping, and advertising.

Profit Analysis per Unit

Net Profit per Unit $0.00
Profit Margin 0.00%
Talk to an Ecommerce CPA

Industry Benchmarks

Healthy ecommerce margins typically range from 15-45%, with 30% being a good target for most products.

Hidden Costs

Don't forget returns (3-5%), payment processing (2.9%), and inventory carrying costs in your calculations.

ROAS Target

Your Return on Ad Spend (ROAS) should be at least 3:1 for sustainable growth, meaning $3 in revenue for every $1 spent.

R&D Tax Credit Estimator

Estimate your potential Research & Development tax credit for software development, product innovation, and technical improvements.

Estimated R&D Credit

Total Qualified Expenses $0
Estimated Tax Credit $0
Claim Your R&D Credits

What Qualifies?

Activities must involve a process of experimentation to develop a new or improved product, process, or software.

Payroll Tax Offset

Qualified small businesses can use up to $250,000 of their R&D credit to offset the employer's portion of Social Security tax.

Documentation is Key

Maintain records of development activities, employee time tracking, project notes, and testing results to substantiate your claim.

Startup Burn Rate & Runway Calculator

Estimate how long your startup can operate before its funding runs out based on cash on hand and monthly burn rate.

Runway Analysis

Estimated Runway 0.0 months
Talk to a Startup CPA

Safe Runway

Aim for 12-18 months of runway minimum. Start fundraising when you have 6-9 months left.

Reduce Burn

Focus on variable costs, renegotiate contracts, and consider revenue acceleration to extend your runway.

Efficiency Metrics

Track your burn multiple (net burn ÷ net new ARR) - aim for under 1.5x for efficient growth.

Capital Gains Tax Estimator

Calculate your estimated capital gains tax on an investment. This calculator helps you see the difference between short-term and long-term tax rates.

Tax Calculation

Total Capital Gain $0
Long-Term Tax (Held >1yr) $0
Short-Term Tax (Held <1yr) $0
Get Tax Planning Advice

Holding Period Matters

Holding an asset for more than one year is the key to qualifying for lower long-term capital gains tax rates (0%, 15%, or 20%).

Primary Residence

You can exclude up to $250k ($500k if married) of gains from the sale of your primary home if you meet ownership and use tests.

Tax-Loss Harvesting

You can sell losing investments to realize a capital loss, which can then be used to offset capital gains and up to $3,000 of ordinary income.

Coffee Shop Break-Even Calculator

Estimate how many cups of coffee you need to sell each month to cover your costs and break even.

Break-Even Analysis

Cups to Sell (Monthly) 0
Talk to a Restaurant CPA

Coffee Shop Metrics

The average coffee shop needs 200-300 daily customers. Focus on increasing average ticket size with upsells.

Improve Margins

Add high-margin items like pastries, merchandise, or specialty drinks to improve overall profitability.

Location Matters

A high-traffic location can justify higher rent if it brings sufficient customer volume to exceed your break-even point.

Payroll Net Pay Estimator

Estimate an employee's net (take-home) pay after federal and state tax withholdings.

Paycheck Estimate

Estimated Net Pay $0.00
Talk to a CPA About Payroll

FICA Taxes

This estimate doesn't include FICA (Social Security & Medicare). Remember to budget for an additional 7.65% from both employee and employer.

W-4 Matters

Actual withholding is determined by an employee's Form W-4. This calculator provides a general estimate.

401(k) & Deductions

Pre-tax deductions like 401(k) or health insurance will lower the taxable gross pay and can change the final net pay.

SaaS Valuation Estimator

Estimate your SaaS company’s value using common revenue and valuation multiples. Useful for fundraising and exit planning.

Valuation Estimate

Estimated SaaS Valuation $0
Get a Business Valuation

Multiple Factors

Growth rate, profit margins, customer retention (NRR), and market size all heavily impact valuation multiples.

The Rule of 40

For SaaS companies, your Growth Rate % + Profit Margin % should exceed 40% to achieve premium valuations.

Market Conditions

Valuations fluctuate with market sentiment. 2021 highs vs. 2023 corrections have shown 50%+ swings in public multiples.

AMT ISO Tax Estimator

Estimate the potential Alternative Minimum Tax (AMT) from exercising Incentive Stock Options (ISOs).

AMT Estimate

ISO Spread $0.00
Taxable AMT Income $0.00
Estimated AMT Due $0.00
Get Stock Option Tax Planning

The AMT Trap

AMT is due for the year you exercise, even if you can't sell the shares yet. This can create a major cash crunch if not planned for.

Early Exercise

Exercising early when the Fair Market Value (FMV) is close to the strike price can significantly minimize or eliminate the AMT impact.

83(b) Election

If you exercise early, file an 83(b) election within 30 days to lock in the tax treatment at the current, lower valuation.

Sales Tax Calculator

Quickly estimate the sales tax on a transaction to understand the total cost for your customers.

Tax Breakdown

Sales Tax $0.00
Total with Tax $0.00
Get Sales Tax Help

Economic Nexus

You may be required to collect sales tax in states where you have no physical presence but exceed certain sales thresholds.

Marketplace Facilitator

Platforms like Amazon and Etsy often collect and remit sales tax on your behalf, but rules vary by state.

Product Taxability

Different products (like groceries or clothing) can have different tax rates or be exempt in certain states.