TaxBot

Inspiration

As a freelancer, I grew frustrated with the guesswork and stress of managing taxes—missing deductions, scrambling for quarterly payments, and fumbling with year-end exports. I saw fellow self-employed peers and landlords struggle with the same pain points: no simple way to track taxes year-round, just last-minute panic. That’s when I knew I needed to build something that turned tax chaos into clarity.

What it does

TaxBot is a web app that monitors finances to auto-detect deductible expenses, tracks quarterly tax obligations with deadline reminders, and lets users simulate tax-saving scenarios. It simplifies annual tax prep by exporting ready-to-use summaries to leading tax platforms—designed for those who work for themselves or own rental properties.

How we built it

We started with core tax logic: mapping U.S. self-employment tax rates and EU equivalents to calculate quarterly estimates. We integrated Plaid (U.S.) and Open Banking (EU) APIs for secure, read-only financial account access to scan transactions. The front end was built with React and CSS, using the Web Animations API for smooth 60fps animations (respecting reduced-motion settings). We encrypted all data with AES-256 and used JWT for secure authentication, including Google login integration.

Challenges we ran into

The biggest hurdle was balancing animation performance with data load speed—we needed fluid visuals without delaying critical tax data. We also faced jurisdiction complexity: aligning U.S. and EU tax rules to ensure accurate calculations for cross-border users. API integration bugs (e.g., Plaid connection failures) required building robust fallbacks for manual data entry.

Accomplishments that we're proud of

We created a tool that makes tax optimization accessible—no accounting degree needed. The dashboard’s real-time KPI animations and interactive scenario planner turn dry tax data into actionable insights. Most importantly, we built full compliance with GDPR and PCI DSS, keeping user financial data secure.

What we learned

We deepened our understanding of cross-jurisdictional tax regulations and the importance of user-centric design for financial tools. We also learned to prioritize performance: animations enhance UX but never at the cost of functionality. Security became non-negotiable—every API integration and data storage choice centered on protecting sensitive financial information.

What's next for this project

We plan to expand support for more EU tax platforms and add integration with popular accounting tools. We’re also exploring AI-driven deduction suggestions (without legal tax advice) to surface overlooked expenses. Finally, we’ll roll out mobile-responsive refinements to make TaxBot usable on-the-go for busy freelancers and landlords.

Built With

• css
• javascript
• react
• web-animations-api