reference-data

compute_employment_cost

Read-onlyIdempotent

PAID ($0.05). Cost to employ: prices every statutory contribution on both the employee and employer sides for a gross salary, returning line-by-line amounts with instrument citations and an explicit refused list for schemes that could not be priced (unknown, not zero). Does NOT compute income tax — use compute_payroll for gross-to-net take-home where supported. Pass api_key if you have one (instant card checkout at /pricing); otherwise the response explains how to pay via x402. The evaluation country is free to try (see list_series). Optional receipt (boolean, default false): on a paid success, include an Ed25519 answer receipt at no extra USDC. An answer receipt is not a series certified extract (GET /v1/certified/{country}/{series} is $0.10 and is not an MCP tool) and is not legal advice. Verify with verify_answer_receipt against /certified/public-key.

Input Schema

Name	Required	Description
`gross`	Yes	Gross pay in local currency
`period`	No	Period the gross covers (default month)
`api_key`	No	API key (bypasses x402; metered for invoicing)
`country`	Yes	ISO country code with a costed contribution schedule
`receipt`	No	Default false. When true, a paid success includes an Ed25519 answer receipt (kind answer_receipt) at no extra USDC. Unpaid 402 and free refusals do not include one. Not a series certified extract (GET /v1/certified/{country}/{series} at $0.10; that SKU is not an MCP tool).
`contract`	No	Contract type where rates differ
`nationality`	No	Gulf nationality for pension reach
`subdivision`	No	Optional ISO 3166-2 regional schedule (e.g. CA-QC, DE-SN)
`childless_over_23`	No	Germany care surcharge
`children_under_25`	No	Germany per-child care reduction
`workplace_pension`	No	Auto-enrolment / PPK participation (default true)
`zusatzbeitrag_rate`	No	Germany sickness-fund supplement

Output Schema

Name	Required	Description
`basis`	No
`error`	No	Present on a free refusal or error; no charge
`status`	No	Answer status, e.g. computed or an honest no-answer status
`country`	No
`receipt`	No	Ed25519 answer receipt when receipt=true on a paid success
`question`	No
`no_charge`	No
`price_usd`	No
`disclaimer`	No
`how_to_pay`	No
`provenance`	No	Cited official sources behind the answer
`bind_series`	No
`explanation`	No
`label_basis`	No	Inputs and the rule ids that produced the two labels
`x_next_bind`	No
`http_endpoint`	No
`coverage_label`	No	How much of the question is covered: ready = complete; partial = held with a disclosed limitation or default; gap = no number served. Rules at /label-rules
`confidence_label`	No	Evidence verdict derived from source type, verification age and the stale flag (answers: the weakest series read). Rules at /label-rules
`payment_required`	No	true when the call needs payment; how_to_pay explains x402 or card

Schema Changelog

Changes observed during successful MCP inspections.

Changed5 schema fields changedOct 17, 2026

changedInput schema / properties / receipt / description

Previous value: -"Default false. When true, a paid success includes an Ed25519 answer receipt (kind answer_receipt) at no extra USDC. Unpaid 402 and free refusals do not include one. Not a series certified extract (GET /v1/certified/{country}/{series} at $0.25; that SKU is not an MCP tool)."New value: +"Default false. When true, a paid success includes an Ed25519 answer receipt (kind answer_receipt) at no extra USDC. Unpaid 402 and free refusals do not include one. Not a series certified extract (GET /v1/certified/{country}/{series} at $0.10; that SKU is not an MCP tool)."

removedOutput schema / properties / label_basis / properties / source_type / anyOf

Removed value: -[
-  {
-    "type": "string"
-  },
-  {
-    "type": "null"
-  }
-]

addedOutput schema / properties / label_basis / properties / source_type / type
```
Added value: +[
+  "string",
+  "null"
+]
```
removedOutput schema / properties / label_basis / properties / verification_age_days / anyOf
```
Removed value: -[
-  {
-    "type": "number"
-  },
-  {
-    "type": "null"
-  }
-]
```
addedOutput schema / properties / label_basis / properties / verification_age_days / type
```
Added value: +[
+  "number",
+  "null"
+]
```

Changed3 schema fields changedOct 13, 2026

addedOutput schema / properties / confidence_label

Added value: +{
+  "description": "Evidence verdict derived from source type, verification age and the stale flag (answers: the weakest series read). Rules at /label-rules",
+  "enum": [
+    "high",
+    "medium",
+    "low"
+  ],
+  "type": "string"
+}

addedOutput schema / properties / coverage_label

Added value: +{
+  "description": "How much of the question is covered: ready = complete; partial = held with a disclosed limitation or default; gap = no number served. Rules at /label-rules",
+  "enum": [
+    "ready",
+    "partial",
+    "gap"
+  ],
+  "type": "string"
+}

addedOutput schema / properties / label_basis

Added value: +{
+  "additionalProperties": {},
+  "description": "Inputs and the rule ids that produced the two labels",
+  "properties": {
+    "confidence_reasons": {
+      "items": {
+        "type": "string"
+      },
+      "type": "array"
+    },
+    "coverage_reasons": {
+      "items": {
+        "type": "string"
+      },
+      "type": "array"
+    },
+    "inputs": {
+      "items": {},
+      "type": "array"
+    },
+    "rules": {
+      "type": "string"
+    },
+    "rules_version": {
+      "type": "string"
+    },
+    "source_type": {
+      "anyOf": [
+        {
+          "type": "string"
+        },
+        {
+          "type": "null"
+        }
+      ]
+    },
+    "stale": {
+      "type": "boolean"
+    },
+    "verification_age_days": {
+      "anyOf": [
+        {
+          "type": "number"
+        },
+        {
+          "type": "null"
+        }
+      ]
+    }
+  },
+  "type": "object"
+}

Changed1 schema field changedOct 12, 2026

changedOutput schema / (root)

Previous value: -nullNew value: +{
+  "$schema": "http://json-schema.org/draft-07/schema#",
+  "additionalProperties": {},
+  "description": "Employee and employer statutory contributions with citations",
+  "properties": {
+    "basis": {},
+    "bind_series": {},
+    "country": {
+      "type": "string"
+    },
+    "disclaimer": {},
+    "error": {
+      "description": "Present on a free refusal or error; no charge"
+    },
+    "explanation": {},
+    "how_to_pay": {
+      "items": {
+        "type": "string"
+      },
+      "type": "array"
+    },
+    "http_endpoint": {
+      "type": "string"
+    },
+    "no_charge": {
+      "type": "boolean"
+    },
+    "payment_required": {
+      "description": "true when the call needs payment; how_to_pay explains x402 or card",
+      "type": "boolean"
+    },
+    "price_usd": {
+      "type": "number"
+    },
+    "provenance": {
+      "description": "Cited official sources behind the answer"
+    },
+    "question": {},
+    "receipt": {
+      "description": "Ed25519 answer receipt when receipt=true on a paid success"
+    },
+    "status": {
+      "description": "Answer status, e.g. computed or an honest no-answer status",
+      "type": "string"
+    },
+    "x_next_bind": {}
+  },
+  "type": "object"
+}

Changed1 schema field changedSep 25, 2026

addedInput schema / properties / receipt

Added value: +{
+  "default": false,
+  "description": "Default false. When true, a paid success includes an Ed25519 answer receipt (kind answer_receipt) at no extra USDC. Unpaid 402 and free refusals do not include one. Not a series certified extract (GET /v1/certified/{country}/{series} at $0.25; that SKU is not an MCP tool).",
+  "type": "boolean"
+}

AddedSep 8, 2026

TDQS

A4.8/5.0

Behavior5/5

Does the description disclose side effects, auth requirements, rate limits, or destructive behavior?

Goes well beyond the readOnly/idempotent/destructive annotations: discloses the $0.05 price, the nonzero 'refused list' semantics for unpriceable schemes, the Ed25519 receipt behavior, and the payment/auth mechanics. This is exactly the kind of mutation-adjacent, billing-relevant context an agent needs.

Agents need to know what a tool does to the world before calling it. Descriptions should go beyond structured annotations to explain consequences.

Conciseness4/5

Is the description appropriately sized, front-loaded, and free of redundancy?

Front-loads the core purpose and the income-tax exclusion well, but the tail of the description is a dense run-on about receipts, certified extracts, and legal disclaimers that partly duplicates the schema's receipt field. It is informative rather than padded, but not maximally tight.

Shorter descriptions cost fewer tokens and are easier for agents to parse. Every sentence should earn its place.

Completeness5/5

Given the tool's complexity, does the description cover enough for an agent to succeed on first attempt?

An output schema exists (so return values need not be explained), and the description still covers the non-obvious complexities of a paid, open-world tool: pricing, payment fallbacks, refusal semantics, and receipt verification. Nothing essential to correct invocation appears missing.

Complex tools with many parameters or behaviors need more documentation. Simple tools need less. This dimension scales expectations accordingly.

Parameters4/5

Does the description clarify parameter syntax, constraints, interactions, or defaults beyond what the schema provides?

Schema coverage is 100% and 4 params are enum-constrained, so the schema carries most of the burden (baseline 3). The description adds real meaning for receipt (default false, paid-success only, not a certified extract) and api_key (bypasses x402), lifting it above baseline.

Input schemas describe structure but not intent. Descriptions should explain non-obvious parameter relationships and valid value ranges.

Purpose5/5

Does the description clearly state what the tool does and how it differs from similar tools?

States a specific verb and resource with scope: 'prices every statutory contribution on both the employee and employer sides for a gross salary.' It further distinguishes itself from compute_income_tax by explicitly excluding income tax and naming an alternative, so an agent can route correctly without opening a schema.

Agents choose between tools based on descriptions. A clear purpose with a specific verb and resource helps agents select the right tool.

Usage Guidelines5/5

Does the description explain when to use this tool, when not to, or what alternatives exist?

Explicitly gives when to use (cost-to-employ pricing), when not to use (income tax), and the alternative ('use compute_payroll for gross-to-net take-home'). It also explains the payment path (api_key vs x402) and that the evaluation country is free to try via list_series.

Agents often have multiple tools that could apply. Explicit usage guidance like "use X instead of Y when Z" prevents misuse.

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