Sam Waltoman
US Tax & Payroll Specialist · 12+ years · New York, NY
Sam handles US federal and state income tax, FICA and self-employment tax for salaried employees, contractors and anyone filing across more than one state. He reviews the 2026 IRS brackets, standard deductions and FICA thresholds behind this site’s USA salary tax calculator, and prepares and files returns end to end.
Meet Sam
Sam grew up between Queens and New Jersey, which is how he ended up caring about state lines: the same salary crosses one and changes what lands in a paycheck. He spends his weekends walking the length of a different New York neighbourhood, and takes at least one long drive west every year, usually ending somewhere in the canyon country of Utah.
- Federal income tax
- State income tax
- Social Security
- Medicare
- Payroll tax
- Self-employment tax
Sam’s tax experience
Sam qualified as an Enrolled Agent after four years at a Manhattan payroll bureau, where he spent his days reconciling W-2s that did not match what people had actually been paid. He moved into personal tax because the questions were harder and the answers mattered more to the person asking. He now handles multi-state filers, contractors who discover Schedule SE the hard way, and anyone whose employer withheld the wrong amount for eleven months.
“Most people do not have a tax problem. They have a withholding problem, and nobody has ever shown them the arithmetic.”
Why the figures on this site are checked
Reviewed annually
Every calculation is checked against the published rates for the new tax year.
Official government rates
Brackets, thresholds and contribution rates come from each country’s own tax authority.
Country-specific methodology
Each country is modelled on its own rules rather than a single formula bent to fit.
Transparent formulas
Every deduction is shown as its own line, so the arithmetic can be followed.
Choose a filing package
A flat price per return, agreed before any work starts.
Self-Employed
$499
per return
Filing and optimisation for 1099, Schedule C and business income
What each package covers
| Features and benefits | Basic$99 | Deluxe$199 | Premier$299 | Self-Employed$499 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| A tax expert prepares, reviews and files the return | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Every deduction explained line by line | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Flat, upfront price per return | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Investment and rental income handled | – | – | ✓ | ✓ |
| Self-employment and business income handled | – | – | – | ✓ |
Filing with Sam: FAQs
What experience does Sam have?
Sam Waltoman is a US Tax & Payroll Specialist with 12 years of experience on US returns, covering federal income tax, state income tax, social security, medicare, payroll tax, self-employment tax.
Does a tax expert check the calculator on this site?
Yes. Sam reviews the US rates, brackets and contribution thresholds used by the calculator against the schedules published by the IRS, once for each new tax year.
What does filing a return cost?
Packages run from $99 for a straightforward return to $499 for self-employment income. The price is flat and agreed before any work starts.
Is the consultation free?
Yes. The first consultation costs nothing and carries no obligation. You send your figures, Sam tells you what filing would involve, and you decide from there.
Does the calculator replace filing a return?
No. The calculator estimates take home pay; it does not file anything. It shows what should be deducted, which is what makes it useful for checking a payslip against the return Sam prepares.
Need help filing your US tax return?
Send Sam your figures and get a written answer on what you owe, or what you are owed, before you commit to anything.