OpenAccountants

Search tax skills by topic

search_skills

Read-onlyIdempotent

Find the skill for a specific tax topic by keyword: a deduction, form, regime or rule such as 'home office deduction', 'Schedule C', 'reverse charge', 'crypto capital gains' or 'Beckham regime'. Optionally limit to one jurisdiction or domain. Returns matching skill slugs to open with get_skill. Set content_type='method' to find step-by-step methods (run them via start), each tagged accountant-reviewed or source-cited.

Input Schema

Name	Required	Description
`query`	Yes	Search term, e.g. 'home office deduction', 'crypto capital gains', 'reverse charge'. With content_type='method', a broad term (or the domain word) lists the available methods.
`domain`	No	Optional accounting domain to limit the search (e.g. 'vat-gst', 'payroll', 'income-tax', 'crypto').
`content_type`	No	What kind of skill to find. 'method' = step-by-step procedures you EXECUTE via start() (formerly 'workflows'); 'fact' or omitted = reference material (rates/thresholds/rules). A skill can be either or both.
`jurisdiction`	No	Optional ISO 2-letter country code to limit the search

Output Schema

Name	Required	Description
`total`	Yes
`results`	Yes
`next_action`	No
`human_backing`	No	Named accountant(s) who review this jurisdiction's guidance (guidance-level, not a per-figure sign-off).

Schema Changelog

Changes observed during successful MCP inspections.

Changed1 schema field changedOct 16, 2026

changedInput schema / properties / content_type / description

Previous value: -"What kind of Guide to find. 'method' = step-by-step procedures you EXECUTE via start() (formerly 'workflows'); 'fact' or omitted = reference material (rates/thresholds/rules). A Guide can be either or both."New value: +"What kind of skill to find. 'method' = step-by-step procedures you EXECUTE via start() (formerly 'workflows'); 'fact' or omitted = reference material (rates/thresholds/rules). A skill can be either or both."

Changed2 schema fields changedJul 13, 2026

addedInput schema / properties / content_type

Added value: +{
+  "description": "What kind of Guide to find. 'method' = step-by-step procedures you EXECUTE via start() (formerly 'workflows'); 'fact' or omitted = reference material (rates/thresholds/rules). A Guide can be either or both.",
+  "enum": [
+    "method",
+    "fact"
+  ],
+  "type": "string"
+}

changedInput schema / properties / query / description

Previous value: -"Search term, e.g. 'home office deduction', 'crypto capital gains', 'reverse charge'"New value: +"Search term, e.g. 'home office deduction', 'crypto capital gains', 'reverse charge'. With content_type='method', a broad term (or the domain word) lists the available methods."

Changed1 schema field changedJul 8, 2026

addedOutput schema / properties / human_backing

Added value: +{
+  "description": "Named accountant(s) who review this jurisdiction's guidance (guidance-level, not a per-figure sign-off).",
+  "properties": {
+    "covered_but_anonymous": {
+      "type": "boolean"
+    },
+    "reviewed_by": {
+      "type": "array"
+    },
+    "reviewed_by_line": {
+      "type": [
+        "string",
+        "null"
+      ]
+    },
+    "tier": {
+      "type": "string"
+    }
+  },
+  "type": [
+    "object",
+    "null"
+  ]
+}

Changed1 schema field changedJun 9, 2026

addedInput schema / properties / domain

Added value: +{
+  "description": "Optional accounting domain to limit the search (e.g. 'vat-gst', 'payroll', 'income-tax', 'crypto').",
+  "type": "string"
+}

Changed1 schema field changedJun 2, 2026
- addedOutput schema / properties / next_action
```
Added value: +{
+  "type": "string"
+}
```
AddedMay 25, 2026

TDQS

A4.2/5.0

Behavior4/5

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

Annotations already cover the safety profile (readOnly, idempotent, non-destructive), so the bar is lower. The description still adds useful non-schema context: results are slugs intended for get_skill, methods are run via start, and method skills carry an accountant-reviewed or source-cited trust tag.

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

Conciseness5/5

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

Three sentences, front-loaded with the action and concrete query examples, then filters, then the return contract. Every clause carries information; nothing is padding.

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

Completeness4/5

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

With an output schema present, return values need not be detailed, yet the description still names the slug payload and the natural follow-up call. It covers the method/fact distinction and optional scoping, leaving only minor unstated details such as result limits or no-match behavior.

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

Parameters3/5

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

Schema description coverage is 100%, including the content_type enum and its 'method' vs 'fact' semantics, so the schema already does the heavy lifting — baseline 3. The description restates jurisdiction/domain limiting and content_type='method' rather than adding syntax or matching behavior (e.g. partial-word or synonym matching) beyond it.

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 (find/search) and resource (tax skill) plus scope: keyword lookup of deductions, forms, regimes, rules. Concrete example queries make the retrieval target unambiguous, and it distinguishes itself from list_skills and search_rules by returning skill slugs rather than enumerating or matching rules.

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

Usage Guidelines4/5

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

Explains when the optional filters apply ('limit to one jurisdiction or domain') and routes to the correct downstream tool in each case: get_skill to open a found slug, start to run a method. It lacks an explicit when-not-to-use statement (e.g. use list_skills to browse everything), so it stops short of the top tier.

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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