How we research and test

How a guide is made

1. Collect the official sources. We start from the pages that set the rules or the prices: the IRS, the SBA, state tax agencies, the FTC, and the help centers and pricing pages of the platforms involved. Each fact is recorded with its URL and the date we read it.
2. Write the draft in plain English. Short sentences, one step at a time. Anything that can change, such as a fee or a threshold, carries the date it was checked.
3. Fact-check against the sources. Before publishing, each claim is checked again against the page it came from. Claims we cannot confirm are removed or marked as unverified.
4. Check that editing kept the facts. After style edits, an automated check compares the numbers, dates and named sources before and after, so editing cannot quietly change a fact.
5. Say what varies. Every guide has a section on what differs by state or country, and when to ask a lawyer or tax professional.

How we review a tool

A page that reviews or compares a tool is marked hands-on tested only when we have used the tool on a real task first. For those pages:

• We sign up for the plan we write about and note where limits and paywalls appear.
• Screenshots come from our own account, not from vendor press kits.
• We state who the tool is not for, and when a pricier or different option fits better.

Guides that explain official rules are not tool reviews. Where they show a screenshot of a public page, such as a government site or a pricing page, the caption names the site and the date it was captured.

Price and fee checks

• Fee and price tables show a checked on date and link to the official pricing page.
• An automated check flags any price older than 60 days so it is re-checked before it goes stale.
• If a vendor changes its pricing, the page is updated with the new date.

Corrections

If you find an error, an outdated fee or a broken link, tell us on the contact page. We fix confirmed errors and update the page date.