How we verify every figure
Accuracy is the product. Here is exactly how a number gets onto a page — and what happens when we can't confirm one.
1. Bind every fact to a primary source
Each obligation figure is extracted from an authoritative government source (e.g. USCIS, IRS, DOL, SEC, EPA) — never a law-firm blog or aggregator. The extractor only records a value when it matches the source text, and stores the exact sentence it came from.
2. Never invent a value
If a figure cannot be bound to an authoritative source, it is shown as “not yet verified” — never presented as a confident claim. We would rather show a gap than a guess.
3. Human review for legal claims
Every legal-obligation claim (deadline, fee, penalty, who-must-file) passes a human check of claim → value → exact source excerpt before it renders as definitive. Approvals are recorded and only re-triggered when the value or its source changes.
4. Show the provenance on the page
Each claim displays its value, the verbatim source excerpt, a link to the primary source, and the date it was last verified — so you can confirm it yourself in seconds.
5. Re-verify on a schedule
Claims carry a freshness window. When a source changes, the page updates and the claim is re-reviewed; if we cannot re-verify, the claim is flagged stale rather than served as current.
What this does and doesn't mean
A source binding guarantees a figure traces to the primary authority — it is not legal advice, and it does not account for every exception in your situation. Always confirm time-sensitive details against the cited source before acting. See our disclaimer and editorial policy.