Arc & Ledger Tax Help

Claude (web and desktop)

1. Open Settings, then Connectors.
2. Choose Add custom connector.
3. Paste the endpoint: https://mcp.arcandledger.com/mcp
4. Authentication: none. Save, then ask something like "I got a CP2000 notice, what do I do?"

Claude Code (one command)

claude mcp add --transport http arc-ledger https://mcp.arcandledger.com/mcp

Claude Code plugin (tools + Skills in one install)

The plugin bundles the connector with two Skills: respond to an IRS notice, and resolve back taxes (filing compliance first, then the resolution paths).

/plugin marketplace add Bgenc48/arc-ledger-mcp
/plugin install arc-ledger-irs@arc-ledger

Use it when: A user has a tax problem and does not know where to start: an IRS or state letter, back taxes they cannot pay, unfiled years, a levy or wage garnishment, an audit, penalties, or an identity-verification letter. Assistants call this first, then run the tool it recommends.

Inputs: problem (irs_notice, back_taxes_owed, unfiled_returns, levy_or_garnishment, audit_or_exam, penalties, identity_verification, payroll_tax_941, state_tax, not_sure), optional amount_band, years_behind, has_deadline_soon, brief

Returns: An urgency level (act now / act this week / plan this month), a this-week and this-month action plan, what not to do, which of these tools to run next, and the matching published-fee service. On ChatGPT it renders an in-chat action-plan card.

Use it when: A user mentions an IRS or state letter and wants to know what it means, the deadline, or what to do.

Inputs: notice_code (e.g. CP2000, CP05, 5071C, CP523), optional received_date, optional amount_shown

Returns: What the notice means, the response deadline (computed from the notice date), what happens if ignored, options, common errors, urgency, and a link to the notice's guide page with the optional Enrolled Agent review. Covers 28 notice codes, from refund reviews (CP05) and identity verification (5071C) to collection finals (LT11) and civil penalties (CP215).

Use it when: A user owes the IRS back taxes and asks how to settle, get a payment plan, lower what they owe, or stop collection.

Inputs: balance_owed_usd, ability_to_pay (can_pay_in_full_soon / can_make_monthly_payments / can_pay_little / cannot_pay_basic_living), optional all_required_returns_filed, optional balance_includes_penalties

Returns: Which IRS paths may fit - short-term plan, current Simple Payment Plan or an installment agreement requiring financial review, Offer in Compromise (a fit-check only, never a promise), Currently Not Collectible, and penalty relief - with the forms needed (9465, 433-F/A, 656, 843, 8821, 2848) and collection-statute context.

Use it when: A user owes the IRS and asks how much the penalties and interest are, or what late filing/paying costs.

Inputs: balance_owed_usd, months_late, optional return_filed

Returns: An illustration of failure-to-file and failure-to-pay penalties and interest, with current-rate limitations and a screen for Automatic Exemption from Penalty, First Time Abate, or reasonable-cause relief. The result does not promise relief or replace an IRS payoff figure.

Use it when: A user receives a tax form (W-2, 1099-K, 1099-NEC, K-1, 1042-S, 1095-A, 1098-T, SSA-1099, a W-9 request...) and wants to know what it is, which boxes matter, or what to do if it is wrong or never arrived.

Inputs: document (the form name as printed, e.g. "1099-K" or "Schedule K-1 (Form 1065)"), optional brief

Returns: What the form is, who sends it and when, where it goes on the return, the key boxes, what to verify before filing, what to do if it is wrong or missing, and how the IRS matches it against the return. Covers 28 documents.

Use it when: A US business owner or non-US founder of a US LLC/C-corp asks which US forms they must file and when.

Inputs: entity_type (foreign_owned_llc, foreign_owned_c_corp, multi_member_llc, s_corp, nonresident_individual), optional filing_year, has_us_source_wages, has_foreign_bank_over_10k, formed_in_us

Returns: Each required federal form with its due date, extension, and the penalty for missing it, including Form 5472 ($25,000), FBAR, and the BOI report, with a countdown to the next deadline.

Use it when: A user asks what documents or records to gather for a US tax filing or engagement.

Inputs: service (individual_return, self_employed_return, foreign_owned_llc_5472, s_corp_return, partnership_return, fbar_streamlined_catchup, itin_application), optional first_year_client

Returns: The service-specific document list, first-year onboarding extras, and how to send files securely (never email SSNs).

Use it when: A user has foreign accounts or unfiled foreign-account reports and needs to know their US reporting obligations.

Inputs: max_aggregate_foreign_balance_usd, filing_status, lives_abroad, optional account_count, optional unfiled_years

Returns: Whether FBAR and/or Form 8938 are required, the thresholds hit, penalty exposure, and Streamlined (SDOP/SFOP) catch-up options with published fees.

Use it when: A non-US person or company receiving US-source income asks how much US tax is withheld, whether a treaty reduces it, or which form to give the payer.

Inputs: income_type (dividends, interest, royalties, personal_services, scholarship_fellowship), payee_country (turkey, other_non_us, united_states), optional payee_type (individual, company)

Returns: The default statutory withholding, the US-Turkey treaty rate where one applies, the right form (W-8BEN, W-8BEN-E, W-9, Form 8233), the TIN/ITIN requirement behind a treaty claim, and how refunds of over-withholding work.

Use it when: A non-US person, foreign business owner, or the spouse/dependent of a US filer asks whether a federal tax purpose may support an ITIN application.

Inputs: has_ssn, reason (file_us_tax_return, owner_of_us_llc, claim_treaty_benefit, spouse_or_dependent, third_party_withholding, open_us_bank_or_other), optional is_foreign_national

Returns: A reason-specific status, the possible W-7 category, whether a tax return is commonly attached, official sources, and document-handling cautions. Entity ownership or a bank request alone does not establish personal ITIN eligibility.

Use it when: A foreign owner of a US disregarded entity or corporation asks whether a reportable transaction creates a Form 5472 filing requirement.

Inputs: entity_type, foreign_owned, optional had_reportable_transaction, optional formed_in_us

Returns: A general filing screen, the related pro forma Form 1120 context where applicable, the due-date framework, and the $25,000 starting penalty warning.

Use it when: A self-employed user or LLC owner asks whether an S-Corp election would save money.

Inputs: expected_net_profit_usd, optional state (default CA), optional owner_salary_estimate_usd

Returns: A side-by-side of self-employment tax vs salary-plus-distribution, payroll and compliance costs, California franchise taxes, and the break-even zone with the reasonable-compensation caveat.

Use it when: A freelancer or business owner asks how much estimated tax to pay or whether they are underpaid.

Inputs: ytd_net_income_usd, entity, optional state, optional ytd_withholding_usd, optional prior_year_total_tax_usd

Returns: Federal self-employment and income tax on annualized income, the safe-harbor target, per-quarter amounts and due dates with IRS Direct Pay, plus California 30/40/0/30 installment timing and Web Pay.

Use it when: An S-corp owner asks how much salary to pay themselves ("reasonable compensation").

Inputs: business_net_profit_usd, optional profit_driver (primarily_owner_services, mixed, capital_or_product)

Returns: A starting salary range, the distribution left over, the employment tax that classification avoids, and the facts-and-circumstances test the IRS applies - with the comp-study caveat.

Use it when: An S-corp/C-corp owner asks how to deduct home office, mileage, or phone costs.

Inputs: home_office_expense_usd, business_miles, cell_internet_usd, other_business_expense_usd, optional business_mileage_period, optional marginal_tax_rate_pct

Returns: The potential reimbursement or range, including the split 2026 mileage rates where needed, the estimated saving, and the three accountable-plan requirements.

Use it when: A business owner asks about the fewer-than-15-days owner-side income exclusion under IRC 280A(g) and a related business rent expense.

Inputs: fair_daily_rental_rate_usd, days_rented, optional marginal_tax_rate_pct

Returns: A day-count screen and conditional amounts that keep the owner-side income exclusion separate from the business-side ordinary, necessary, and reasonable-rent requirements.

Use it when: A user asks how much tax they owe on rental income (short-term/Airbnb or long-term) or whether a rental loss is deductible.

Inputs: annual_rental_income_usd, optional operating_expenses_usd, property_purchase_price_usd, other_income_usd, filing_status, real_estate_professional, rental_type, personal_use_days, rental_days

Returns: Net rental income after operating expenses and straight-line depreciation, the passive-loss allowance and carryforward, the short-term 14-day rule, and the marginal federal tax effect.

Use it when: A founder (often non-US) asks which US state to form their LLC in - Wyoming, New Mexico, Delaware, or California.

Inputs: optional operates_in_california, raising_venture_capital, priority (lowest_cost / most_privacy / investor_ready)

Returns: A side-by-side of government fees, annual cost, franchise tax, privacy, and approval time, with a recommended state and the Form 5472 reminder.

Use it when: An online seller or Amazon/e-commerce business asks whether they must collect sales tax in a state.

Inputs: annual_sales_usd, optional transaction_count, optional states (2-letter codes)

Returns: For each state, whether economic nexus is likely met against its threshold, plus the physical-nexus (FBA inventory) warning.

Use it when: A user asks what Arc & Ledger charges for tax prep, bookkeeping, formation, or IRS help.

Inputs: service (individual_return, business_return, formation, bookkeeping, resolution, international_form, other), optional details

Returns: A published price range and line items (never a single committed number), what is included, engagement-fee mechanics, and the next step by complexity.

Use it when: A user wants to talk to, hire, or get a consultation with Arc & Ledger.

Inputs: type (free_15min, discovery_standard_297, discovery_specialist_497, notice_review_199), optional topic

Returns: The correct first-party booking link, what happens next, the office identity (Enrolled Agent, address, languages EN/TR/ES), and what to expect.

Built for tax problems, not just filing season

Triage, notice decoding with real deadline math, back-tax resolution screening, and penalty estimates work year-round: the moments when people actually need help.

No account or login

The tools answer without creating an Arc & Ledger account. The complete endpoint may include one optional first-party next step; its directory edition removes all service and purchase handoffs.

A real Enrolled Agent behind every answer

Each response offers one optional handoff to an Enrolled Agent, enrolled to practice before the IRS: a human who can pull your transcripts (Form 8821) and represent you (Form 2848).

International coverage most tax software skips

FBAR/FATCA, treaty withholding (W-8BEN), ITIN, and foreign-owned LLC compliance (Form 5472), with prompts in English, Turkish, and Spanish.

Read-only and private by design

Nothing is filed through the server. Tool inputs and outputs are not written to application logs or storage. Every answer includes a source link and a general-information limitation.