SAWD Frequently Asked Questions
SAWD™ (Software as a Wealth Device) uses AI to prepare your federal and state taxes, connects you to a credentialed CPA who reviews and signs every return, and records your household's complete financial life in one immutable cryptographic ledger. The questions below cover how it works, what it costs, and how your data is protected.
Common questions
What is SAWD™?
SAWD™ stands for Software as a Wealth Device — a new category of financial software that uses AI to prepare your federal and state tax returns, connects you to a verified CPA who reviews and signs every return, and maintains an immutable cryptographic ledger of your complete financial life. It is purpose-built for households, couples, and multi-generational families.
What is the "Family Wealth Ledger"?
The Family Wealth Ledger is SAWD's core product positioning — a permanent, immutable financial record for your entire household, covering every account, every tax filing, every estate document, and every investment across your lifetime and your heirs'. Unlike solo budgeting apps or annual tax software, the Family Wealth Ledger persists across generations.
How is SAWD different from TurboTax?
TurboTax is DIY tax software — you prepare your own return with no CPA in the loop. SAWD™ uses AI to prepare the return and routes it to a credentialed CPA who reviews and signs it with their PTIN on Form 8879. SAWD is also a year-round wealth platform, not just tax-season software. And SAWD is built for households, not solo users.
Does SAWD replace my accountant?
No. SAWD™ makes your accountant's job dramatically more efficient. AI handles most of the document collection, categorization, and draft preparation. Your CPA handles the professional judgment layer and signs every return with their PTIN. Both sides win — and your CPA gets a dedicated portal to interact with your data without needing your password.
Is SAWD built for couples and families?
Yes — it's the primary use case. SAWD models married filing jointly vs. married filing separately simultaneously and recommends the option that saves more. Household CFO dashboard aggregates every account across every family member. Beneficiaries inherit ledger access. Estate documents are stored alongside the financial records they reference.
Is SAWD for individuals or businesses?
Both. SAWD supports individual 1040 filers, married couples (MFJ and MFS), sole proprietors, LLCs, S-corps, rental property owners, and multi-entity households. All entities share one immutable ledger — no re-entering data across products.
What does "immutable ledger" mean for my taxes?
An immutable ledger means no entry can be deleted or silently modified. Every transaction, document, and CPA action is appended to a SHA-256 hash chain — cryptographically verifiable without putting any personal data on a public blockchain. For the IRS, this creates an unimpeachable chain of custody for every deduction you claim. For you, it means your financial history is permanent and transferable to heirs.
How much does SAWD cost?
Platform subscription: $10/month (Individual), $25/month (Business Accounting, up to 50 transactions/month), or $50/month (Business Accounting Plus, 50+ transactions/month). CPA-signed filing fee: $99 for a simple return, $199 for a complex one (multiple entities/states). A 7-day free trial is included — no charge until day 8.
Is my financial data secure in SAWD?
Yes. SAWD™ uses AES-256-GCM encryption at rest and TLS 1.3 in transit, with a post-quantum hybrid cryptographic stack (ML-KEM-768 + ML-DSA-87) planned on our security roadmap for long-lived records. Every action is logged in a tamper-evident SHA-256 hash chain. Your data is never sold, never used for advertising, and never shared without your explicit consent.
Can my CPA access SAWD?
Yes. SAWD has a dedicated CPA portal where your accountant can view your ledger, upload review notes, request documents, run audit risk analysis, model tax scenarios, and sign your return — all without logging into your personal account. CPAs receive a separate secure workspace with full audit logging of every action they take.
What states does SAWD support?
The private beta (May 2026) supports federal returns plus Virginia, Maryland, and Washington DC — serving the Northern Virginia metro pilot. National rollout covering all 50 states is planned for Q3–Q4 2026, beginning with the highest-population states.
What happens to my ledger when I pass away?
Your designated beneficiaries inherit access to your SAWD ledger — every document, every filing, every asset record — organized, verified, and legally accessible. The Legacy Vault triggers upon verified conditions you configure (e.g., death certificate upload, third-party verification). No financial history is lost, and no scramble for heirs trying to reconstruct your financial life.
Is SAWD SOC 2 or HIPAA compliant?
SAWD uses enterprise-grade security infrastructure (AES-256-GCM, TLS 1.3, immutable SHA-256 audit logs, with post-quantum hybrid cryptography planned on our roadmap) that meets or exceeds SOC 2 Type II technical requirements. A formal SOC 2 Type II audit is planned for Q4 2026 alongside national rollout. HIPAA is not applicable to financial software, but SAWD's medical-expense tracking uses HIPAA-aligned privacy principles.
Frequently asked questions
What is SAWD™?
SAWD™ stands for Software as a Wealth Device — a new category of financial software that uses AI to prepare your federal and state tax returns, connects you to a verified CPA who reviews and signs every return, and maintains an immutable cryptographic ledger of your complete financial life. It is purpose-built for households, couples, and multi-generational families.
What is the "Family Wealth Ledger"?
The Family Wealth Ledger is SAWD's core product positioning — a permanent, immutable financial record for your entire household, covering every account, every tax filing, every estate document, and every investment across your lifetime and your heirs'. Unlike solo budgeting apps or annual tax software, the Family Wealth Ledger persists across generations.
How is SAWD different from TurboTax?
TurboTax is DIY tax software — you prepare your own return with no CPA in the loop. SAWD™ uses AI to prepare the return and routes it to a credentialed CPA who reviews and signs it with their PTIN on Form 8879. SAWD is also a year-round wealth platform, not just tax-season software. And SAWD is built for households, not solo users.
Does SAWD replace my accountant?
No. SAWD™ makes your accountant's job dramatically more efficient. AI handles most of the document collection, categorization, and draft preparation. Your CPA handles the professional judgment layer and signs every return with their PTIN. Both sides win — and your CPA gets a dedicated portal to interact with your data without needing your password.
Is SAWD built for couples and families?
Yes — it's the primary use case. SAWD models married filing jointly vs. married filing separately simultaneously and recommends the option that saves more. Household CFO dashboard aggregates every account across every family member. Beneficiaries inherit ledger access. Estate documents are stored alongside the financial records they reference.
Is SAWD for individuals or businesses?
Both. SAWD supports individual 1040 filers, married couples (MFJ and MFS), sole proprietors, LLCs, S-corps, rental property owners, and multi-entity households. All entities share one immutable ledger — no re-entering data across products.
What does "immutable ledger" mean for my taxes?
An immutable ledger means no entry can be deleted or silently modified. Every transaction, document, and CPA action is appended to a SHA-256 hash chain — cryptographically verifiable without putting any personal data on a public blockchain. For the IRS, this creates an unimpeachable chain of custody for every deduction you claim. For you, it means your financial history is permanent and transferable to heirs.
How much does SAWD cost?
Platform subscription: $10/month (Individual), $25/month (Business Accounting, up to 50 transactions/month), or $50/month (Business Accounting Plus, 50+ transactions/month). CPA-signed filing fee: $99 for a simple return, $199 for a complex one (multiple entities/states). A 7-day free trial is included — no charge until day 8.
Is my financial data secure in SAWD?
Yes. SAWD™ uses AES-256-GCM encryption at rest and TLS 1.3 in transit, with a post-quantum hybrid cryptographic stack (ML-KEM-768 + ML-DSA-87) planned on our security roadmap for long-lived records. Every action is logged in a tamper-evident SHA-256 hash chain. Your data is never sold, never used for advertising, and never shared without your explicit consent.
Can my CPA access SAWD?
Yes. SAWD has a dedicated CPA portal where your accountant can view your ledger, upload review notes, request documents, run audit risk analysis, model tax scenarios, and sign your return — all without logging into your personal account. CPAs receive a separate secure workspace with full audit logging of every action they take.
What states does SAWD support?
The private beta (May 2026) supports federal returns plus Virginia, Maryland, and Washington DC — serving the Northern Virginia metro pilot. National rollout covering all 50 states is planned for Q3–Q4 2026, beginning with the highest-population states.
What happens to my ledger when I pass away?
Your designated beneficiaries inherit access to your SAWD ledger — every document, every filing, every asset record — organized, verified, and legally accessible. The Legacy Vault triggers upon verified conditions you configure (e.g., death certificate upload, third-party verification). No financial history is lost, and no scramble for heirs trying to reconstruct your financial life.
Is SAWD SOC 2 or HIPAA compliant?
SAWD uses enterprise-grade security infrastructure (AES-256-GCM, TLS 1.3, immutable SHA-256 audit logs, with post-quantum hybrid cryptography planned on our roadmap) that meets or exceeds SOC 2 Type II technical requirements. A formal SOC 2 Type II audit is planned for Q4 2026 alongside national rollout. HIPAA is not applicable to financial software, but SAWD's medical-expense tracking uses HIPAA-aligned privacy principles.