Data Sources
What Plain Figures uses for rates, tax thresholds, benchmark labels, and worked examples, and how to think about the limits of that source layer.
What our source layer is for
Plain Figures uses source material to anchor formulas, tax bands, benchmark rates, and terminology. The purpose of the source layer is not to outsource judgment. It is to make the assumptions traceable.
Some pages depend mainly on stable mathematics. Others depend on thresholds, annual tax treatment, or changing market context. Those pages need more active review.
How we treat source volatility
When a page depends on a changeable input such as tax thresholds or current-rate framing, we aim to state the time context clearly. Users should still verify live policy, lender, market, or payroll details before acting.
This matters most on salary, tax, and high-stakes borrowing pages where even small updates can change the practical output.
- Formula sources for the mathematical core
- Threshold and tax-year sources for salary and tax pages
- Benchmark-rate context for selected worked examples
- Explicit date context when a number is time-sensitive