The rules this site follows so you can trust a result, or check it yourself.
Where numbers come from
The law first. Formulas come from the statute or rule itself: the Revised Code of Washington, Oregon Revised Statutes, the Washington Administrative Code, federal regulations and IRS revenue procedures.
Then the agency's own notice. Yearly amounts (maximums, minimums, income limits) come from the agency that sets them, such as the Oregon Employment Department, Washington ESD, HHS, SSA or the IRS.
Outside sources only for context. When a non-government source is cited, such as KFF on health policy, it's labeled with its publisher.
How each calculator is tested
Every figure in "Show the math" carries a § label linking to its source, with the date it was checked.
Before a calculator goes live, we work test cases by hand, including the edges: minimums, maximums, caps and income limits, and compare the calculator's answers.
Where an agency publishes a table (like a copay chart or income limits), the calculator uses that table directly instead of re-deriving it.
When we don't know, we say so
If an agency doesn't publish something clearly, we don't fill the gap with a guess. You'll see a note on the page instead. For example, Oregon doesn't publish an ERDC copay chart or its full TANF table, so those pages show what Oregon does publish and point you to the agency.
Where a calculator has to make an assumption, like spreading the Oregon Kids Credit phase-out evenly, the result is labeled as an estimate and explains the assumption.
When we update
January: federal tax brackets, poverty guidelines, Social Security amounts, Washington paid leave.
Late June and July: Oregon and Washington unemployment and Paid Leave Oregon amounts, WIC limits.
October: SNAP figures and several state charts.
Any time an agency announces a change. Each update is logged on What changed.
What a result is, and isn't
Every result is an estimate from published rules. Agencies look at details a calculator can't, like exactly when income arrives and verified documents. Only the agency can decide whether you qualify, so apply even if an estimate says no.