( tax planning ) — start with the number

See what you're overpaying. In about a minute.

Self-employed and wondering if an S-corp would actually cut your tax? Get a federal estimate now — then we pressure-test it, free.

Free · ~60s · federal estimate · not tax advice
See my estimate ↓ Talk to an advisor
( 01 ) — your number, live free · ~60s · not tax advice

Fig. 01 — your numbers stay in your browser until you ask for a real analysis.

(02) — The mechanic

One election splits your profit into two kinds of money.

Every dollar a sole proprietor earns is hit by 15.3% — Social Security + Medicare. An S-corp splits profit into a salary (still taxed) and a distribution (not subject to that 15.3%). The savings live in that split.

15.3%
self-employment tax every sole proprietor pays on every dollar of profit — an S-corp carves that profit into two parts.
Fig. 02 — the same profit, divided
Salary — a reasonable market wage. Still taxed at 15.3%.
Distribution — the rest of the profit. Skips that 15.3%.
(03) — The catch

An estimate isn't savings. Four steps make it real.

The free number is a federal what-if. Turning it into money you actually keep — that survives an audit — takes four things.

  1. 01

    The estimate

    The federal what-if you just ran above — a planning illustration, not a determination.

    the number, before reality
  2. 02

    The election

    Form 2553 (or 8832), an eligibility check, and a defensible reasonable salary — the market wage for your work, set from comparable-wage data, not a slider percentage.

    pay yourself too little and it's the #1 S-corp audit trigger
  3. 03

    Run it — payroll + books

    The salary actually flows through payroll, and the distribution is backed by clean monthly books.

    this is what survives an audit
  4. 04

    File + advise

    The 1120-S and your 1040, quarterly estimates, and year-round planning. Start your S-corp election →

    the savings are only as real as the filing behind them
(04) — Beyond the estimate

Federal and flat. Your real number isn't.

The calculator is honest about what it can't see. A real analysis — free to find out — runs all of it.

01

State & local tax

Some states tax S-corps at the entity level — California's $800 minimum franchise tax + 1.5%, New York City's UBT — which can shrink or even erase the federal savings.

State
02

NIIT & AMT

The net investment income tax and alternative minimum tax can change the math at higher incomes.

Timing
03

Retirement & health insurance

Solo 401(k), SEP, and self-employed health-insurance choices shift the optimal salary and the savings.

Planning
04

Other household income

A spouse's wages, other businesses, and investment income all move your real bracket.

Planning
05

Cost to run an S-corp

Payroll, the 1120-S return, and state fees are real ongoing costs — the calculator already subtracts an estimate of them.

Cost
(05) — The desk behind it

One firm runs the whole arc.

Year-round, not once a year — the same system that runs your books defends your election.

i
Election filed & defendedForm 2553/8832, an eligibility check, and a documented reasonable salary — built to hold up.
ii
Payroll & books that hold upThe salary runs through real payroll; the distribution is backed by reconciled monthly books.
iii
Returns & quarterly estimates1120-S and 1040 prepared together, with quarterly estimates so nothing surprises you in April.
iv
Advisory as you growFrom formation to valuation and M&A — the same firm, all the way up.
Talk to the desk → Client login
(06) — Three ways in

Built, and ready when you are.

Start free, file the election, or hand us the whole return — each runs on the same system.

01

S-Corp Savings Calculator

A free, ~60-second federal estimate of what an S-corp election could save you. No form required.

Estimate my savings →
Free
02

S-Corp Election

Form 2553/8832, an eligibility check, and a defensible reasonable-salary plan — prepared and filed for you.

Start the election →
By scope
03

Tax Return Preparation

Federal & state returns — 1040 / 1040-NR / 1065 / 1120-S — with year-round strategy, not a once-a-year filing.

File my return →
By scope
(07) — Who runs your numbers

A federal estimate is software. A defensible plan is a person.

Your estimate is run by Maua, a firm led by Rafael Dantas — a finance executive with 20+ years in mergers & acquisitions, controllership, financial planning, internal controls, and treasury, currently at a U.S. Fortune 500.

We work in English, Spanish, and Portuguese, with U.S. and non-U.S. owners alike — and we'll tell you honestly when an S-corp isn't worth it yet.

  • 20+ yrsM&A · controllership · FP&A · treasury · internal controls
  • EN · ES · PTEvery estimate, election, and return — fully trilingual
  • US ⇄ non-USOwners with or without a U.S. Social Security Number
(08) — Questions, answered straight

No fine print in the fine print.

Is this tax advice?
No. It's a free, federal-only planning estimate — not tax advice and not a quote. It shows whether an S-corp is worth a real conversation. Your actual result depends on your state, a defensible salary, and a full review of your facts — which is exactly what the free analysis covers.
It's free — what's the catch?
There isn't one. You get your number whether or not you ask for an analysis, and your inputs stay in your browser until you submit the optional lead form. We give the estimate away because, often enough, the honest answer is "an S-corp isn't worth it for you yet" — and we'd rather tell you that than sell you a filing you don't need.
Will an S-corp actually save me money?
It depends on your profit relative to a reasonable salary. The savings come from the slice you take as a distribution, which skips the 15.3% — but you must pay yourself a market wage first, and running an S-corp costs money (payroll + an 1120-S + state fees). The calculator subtracts those, so below a certain profit it will tell you it's roughly break-even. That's the point.
What salary do I have to pay myself?
A reasonable one — the market wage for the work you do, not a percentage of profit. Paying yourself too little to dodge tax is the single most common S-corp audit trigger. The slider in the tool is only a what-if; in a real engagement we set a defensible figure from comparable-wage data and document it.
I'm not a U.S. citizen or resident — can I do this?
Possibly not for an S-corp specifically: S-corporation shareholders generally must be U.S. citizens or residents, so a non-resident owner usually can't elect S status. But we work with non-U.S. owners every day across other structures, and we'll tell you honestly what fits — formation, books, and the right tax election for your situation.
What about my state?
This estimate is federal only. Some states tax S-corps at the entity level or charge fees that shrink or even erase the federal savings — California's $800 minimum franchise tax plus a 1.5% S-corp tax and New York City's UBT are the usual culprits. Your real analysis runs your actual state.
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