diff --git a/docs/us-cpa.md b/docs/us-cpa.md
index b8cd4bf..b9865ee 100644
--- a/docs/us-cpa.md
+++ b/docs/us-cpa.md
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@
 From `skills/us-cpa/`:
 
 ```bash
+python -m pip install --upgrade pip setuptools wheel
 pip install -e '.[dev]'
 us-cpa --help
 ```
@@ -35,6 +36,7 @@ rsync -a --delete \
 cd ~/.openclaw/workspace/skills/us-cpa
 python3 -m venv .venv
 . .venv/bin/activate
+python -m pip install --upgrade pip setuptools wheel
 pip install -e '.[dev]'
 ```
 
diff --git a/skills/us-cpa/README.md b/skills/us-cpa/README.md
index d09913e..45d53af 100644
--- a/skills/us-cpa/README.md
+++ b/skills/us-cpa/README.md
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ Standalone Python CLI package for the `us-cpa` skill.
 From `skills/us-cpa/`:
 
 ```bash
+python -m pip install --upgrade pip setuptools wheel
 pip install -e '.[dev]'
 ```
 
@@ -28,6 +29,7 @@ rsync -a --delete \
 cd ~/.openclaw/workspace/skills/us-cpa
 python3 -m venv .venv
 . .venv/bin/activate
+python -m pip install --upgrade pip setuptools wheel
 pip install -e '.[dev]'
 ```
 
diff --git a/skills/us-cpa/tests/test_cli.py b/skills/us-cpa/tests/test_cli.py
index 12b9016..a6e6efa 100644
--- a/skills/us-cpa/tests/test_cli.py
+++ b/skills/us-cpa/tests/test_cli.py
@@ -37,6 +37,7 @@ class UsCpaCliSmokeTests(unittest.TestCase):
     def test_readme_documents_install_and_script_usage(self) -> None:
         readme = (SKILL_DIR / "README.md").read_text()
         self.assertIn("pip install -e '.[dev]'", readme)
+        self.assertIn("python -m pip install --upgrade pip setuptools wheel", readme)
         self.assertIn("scripts/us-cpa", readme)
         self.assertIn("python -m unittest", readme)
 
@@ -48,9 +49,11 @@ class UsCpaCliSmokeTests(unittest.TestCase):
         self.assertIn("OpenClaw installation", readme)
         self.assertIn("~/.openclaw/workspace/skills/us-cpa", readme)
         self.assertIn(".venv/bin/python", readme)
+        self.assertIn("python -m pip install --upgrade pip setuptools wheel", readme)
         self.assertNotIn("/Users/stefano/", readme)
         self.assertIn("OpenClaw installation", operator_doc)
         self.assertIn("rsync -a --delete", operator_doc)
+        self.assertIn("python -m pip install --upgrade pip setuptools wheel", operator_doc)
         self.assertIn("~/", operator_doc)
         self.assertNotIn("/Users/stefano/", operator_doc)
         self.assertIn("~/.openclaw/workspace/skills/us-cpa/scripts/us-cpa", skill_doc)