Methodology and sources
Every Cordwell calculator runs in your browser using published figures from the agency that sets them. Where no single agency publishes a national table (state income tax brackets, average local sales tax and property tax rates), we use the Tax Foundation's compiled tables, which cite each state's statutes. Each calculator page explains its formula and links to its sources.
Figures in use
| Item | Figure | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Texas LLC Certificate of Formation | $300 | Texas Secretary of State, Form 205 instructions |
| Name reservation / assumed name / Certificate of Fact | $40 / $25 / $15 | Texas Secretary of State fee schedule (Form 806) |
| Franchise tax no-tax-due threshold (2026–2027 reports) | $2,650,000 | Texas Comptroller, franchise tax rates and thresholds |
| Franchise tax rates | 0.75%; 0.375% retail/wholesale; EZ 0.331% | Texas Comptroller, franchise tax rates and thresholds |
| Franchise tax compensation cap | $480,000 per person | Texas Comptroller, 2026 franchise tax instructions (05-915) |
| Franchise tax under $1,000 | No tax owed; report still filed | Texas Comptroller, 2026 franchise tax instructions (05-915) |
| 2026 standard deduction | $16,100 single; $32,200 joint | IRS, tax year 2026 inflation adjustments |
| 2026 Social Security wage base | $184,500 | SSA, 2026 Social Security wage base |
| USPTO base application | $350 per class, plus surcharges | USPTO, trademark fee information |
| Statement of use | $150 per class | USPTO, summary of 2025 trademark fee changes |
| Texas sales tax | 6.25% state; up to 2% local | Texas Comptroller, sales and use tax |
| Texas unemployment tax | 2.7% new employer; $9,000 wage base | Texas Workforce Commission, new employer information |
| IRS mileage rate 2026 | 72.5¢ Jan–Jun; 76¢ Jul–Dec | IRS, standard mileage rates |
| Texas school homestead exemption | $140,000; +$60,000 if 65+ or disabled | Texas Comptroller, 2025 property tax amendments |
| 2026 federal brackets, all filing statuses; head of household deduction | 10%–37%; $24,150 | IRS, Rev. Proc. 2025-32 (2026 tax tables and amounts) |
| Long-term capital gains 0% / 15% ceilings, single | $49,450 / $545,500 | IRS, Rev. Proc. 2025-32 (2026 tax tables and amounts) |
| Child tax credit; refundable portion | $2,200; $1,700 | IRS, Rev. Proc. 2025-32 (2026 tax tables and amounts) |
| Earned income credit maximum, 3+ children | $8,231 | IRS, Rev. Proc. 2025-32 (2026 tax tables and amounts) |
| Additional standard deduction, 65+ | $2,050 unmarried; $1,650 married | IRS, Rev. Proc. 2025-32 (2026 tax tables and amounts) |
| Senior deduction; overtime cap; tip cap | $6,000; $12,500 ($25,000 joint); $25,000 | IRS, deductions for seniors, tips, overtime and car loan interest |
| 401(k) limit; catch-up 50+; ages 60–63 | $24,500; $8,000; $11,250 | IRS, 2026 401(k) and IRA limits |
| IRA limit; Roth phase-out single / joint | $7,500; $153,000–$168,000 / $242,000–$252,000 | IRS, Notice 2025-67 (2026 retirement plan limits) |
| Social Security bend points | $1,286 and $7,749 | SSA, 2026 benefit formula bend points |
| Earnings test exempt amounts | $24,480; $65,160 | SSA, 2026 earnings test exempt amounts |
| State income tax brackets, deductions and exemptions | As of January 1, 2026 | Tax Foundation, state income tax rates and brackets, 2026 |
| State and average local sales tax rates | As of July 1, 2026 | Tax Foundation, state and local sales tax rates, midyear 2026 |
| Effective property tax rates by state | 2024 Census data | Tax Foundation, property taxes by state and county, 2026 |
| State disability and paid leave employee rates | 2026 | EY Tax News, 2026 state disability and paid leave rates |
| Conforming loan limit (one unit) | $832,750 | FHFA, 2026 conforming loan limits |
| FHA upfront / annual MIP | 1.75%; 0.55% most 30-year loans | HUD, Mortgagee Letter 2023-05 (FHA annual MIP) |
| VA funding fee, first use under 5% down | 2.15% | VA, funding fee and closing costs |
| USDA guarantee fee; annual fee | 1%; 0.35% | USDA Rural Development, single family housing guaranteed loans |
| VA disability, 100% veteran alone | $3,938.58 a month | VA, 2026 disability compensation rates |
| Uniform Lifetime Table | IRS Table III | IRS, Publication 590-B (Uniform Lifetime Table) |
| Section 179 limit | $2,560,000 | IRS, Rev. Proc. 2025-32 (2026 tax tables and amounts) |
How we keep them current
Figures are checked against the source agencies and the date of the last check appears on every page. Federal tax figures change each January, state brackets and payroll programs change on their own schedules, and local sales tax rates change quarterly.
Limits
Calculators simplify. They don't replace the official forms, and they aren't legal, tax or financial advice. Where a rule is simplified, the calculator page says so.