How to Use What-If Scenarios | Tax Deduction Comparison Guide

What is the What-If Scenarios Feature?

The What-If Scenarios feature allows you to create and compare up to 4 different tax situations side-by-side. Instead of manually recalculating your Schedule 1-A deductions each time you want to explore an alternative, you can instantly see how changes affect your total deduction.

This is especially useful for:

Tax Planning: See how different income levels affect your deductions
Deduction Optimization: Compare enabling/disabling different deduction categories
Client Consultation: Show clients multiple options and their financial impact
Filing Status Analysis: Compare outcomes for different filing statuses

Step-by-Step Guide

Complete Your Base Calculation

Before using What-If Scenarios, complete a calculation in the mainSchedule 1-A Calculator. This establishes your baseline scenario with your actual tax data.

Tip: Make sure all your deduction sections (Tips, Overtime, Car Loan, Seniors) are filled out with your real data before creating scenarios.

Navigate to What-If Scenarios

From the Summary page (Step 7), click the "Explore What-If Scenarios" button. You can also access it from the sidebar navigation at any time.

Create Alternative Scenarios

Your "Current Situation" is automatically created as the baseline. Click "Add Scenario" to create alternatives. Each new scenario starts as a copy of the baseline that you can modify.

Maximum 4 Scenarios: You can create up to 4 scenarios to compare. This keeps the comparison manageable and the interface responsive.

Modify Scenario Variables

For each scenario, you can adjust:

Scenario Name: Give it a descriptive name like "Higher Income" or "No Car Loan"
Filing Status: Single, MFJ, MFS, or HOH
AGI (Income): Modify the adjusted gross income
Deduction Toggles: Enable or disable Tips, Overtime, Car Loan, or Seniors
Deduction Amounts: For simple data, edit amounts directly

Note: If you have complex W-2 or employer data, those fields show as read-only to preserve your detailed records. Edit in the main calculator for changes.

Compare and Identify the Best Scenario

All scenarios display side-by-side with their total deductions. The scenario with the highest deduction is automatically marked with a green "Best" badge. You'll also see the dollar difference from baseline (e.g., "+$5,000 vs baseline").

Apply or Export Your Results

Once you've found the best scenario:

Apply to Calculator: Click to transfer that scenario's settings to your main calculation
Export to PDF: Download a comparison report with all scenarios for your records
Duplicate: Create a copy of any scenario to make further adjustments

Common Use Cases

Income Sensitivity Analysis

Test how different income levels affect your deduction phaseouts. See if earning slightly less could actually increase your total benefit due to MAGI thresholds.

Deduction Mix Optimization

Compare scenarios with different combinations of deductions enabled. Sometimes claiming fewer deductions can simplify your return without major benefit loss.

Client Consultation

Tax professionals can show clients multiple options during consultations. Export the PDF comparison to include in client communications.

Future Tax Planning

Model potential future scenarios like getting a raise, paying off a car loan, or reaching age 65 to see how your deductions would change.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many scenarios can I compare at once?

You can create and compare up to 4 different scenarios simultaneously. Each scenario can have different income levels, deduction settings, and filing statuses.

What can I change in each scenario?

You can modify AGI (income), filing status, and toggle individual deductions (Tips, Overtime, Car Loan Interest, Seniors) on or off. For simple data, you can also edit the deduction amounts directly.

How do I know which scenario is best?

The scenario with the highest total deduction is automatically highlighted with a "Best" badge. You'll also see the dollar difference from your baseline scenario for easy comparison.

Can I export my scenario comparison?

Yes! You can export all your scenarios to a PDF document that shows the side-by-side comparison with all deduction details. The best scenario is highlighted in the PDF as well.

Is What-If Scenarios free to use?

Yes, the What-If Scenarios feature is completely free. Like the rest of the Schedule 1A Calculator, all processing happens in your browser with no account required.

Schedule 1-A Calculator

How to Compare Tax Scenarios & Maximize Your Deductions