Editorial Policy

This site follows a simple editorial standard: numbers must be reproducible, and claims must be supported or removed. This page describes how content here is researched, written, reviewed, and corrected.

Who writes and reviews

Content is written and reviewed by Shahzaib Hassan, the founder and editor of CheckMyRaise. Guides receive a math, link, and plain-language check before publishing.

Source hierarchy

For time-sensitive or factual claims we cite primary sources, and we name the source and its reference date:

• Inflation and wage data: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) first, linking the specific release and reference period.
• Federal tax rules: the IRS first, stating the tax year and avoiding personalized conclusions.
• Employment rules: the U.S. Department of Labor or the relevant state agency, distinguishing law from general practice.
• Calculator formulas: our own Methodology page, which carries the formulas and test cases.

Review before publishing

• Every worked example is recalculated independently against the live calculator.
• Facts, estimates, and editorial opinion are kept clearly separate.
• We do not publish salary benchmarks, “typical” deduction rates, or inflation figures without naming a source and a date.
• Estimates are always labeled as estimates, and their assumptions are user-visible and editable in the calculator.

Use of AI assistance

We may use AI tools to help draft or edit explanatory copy. Anything published is reviewed by a person for accuracy and usefulness; the math in the calculators is hand-written, tested code, not AI-generated at runtime. We do not mass-generate pages for search manipulation.

Updates and corrections

We update an article when its data, links, or methodology materially change — not merely to look fresh. If you spot an error, tell us through the contact page; corrections are applied to the article itself and noted where the change is significant.