The Taxes tab in Kerdora lets you build multiple tax scenarios for a client and switch between them to compare results. This is how you model things like Roth conversions, changes in filing status, or different income assumptions for year-end planning.
Each scenario is its own tab. You can create them from scratch, duplicate an existing one to tweak a few inputs, and flip between tabs to see how results change.
Creating a New Scenario
To create a new tax scenario, go to Planning > Taxes for any client. Click the + icon in the top-right corner of the scenario tabs bar. You'll be prompted to name it, then Kerdora opens the new scenario with blank inputs ready to fill in.
You can create as many scenarios as you need. Each one is completely independent.
Duplicating a Scenario
If you want to start from an existing scenario and change a few things (the most common workflow), click the copy icon next to the + button. This creates an exact copy of the current scenario with all inputs carried over. The duplicate gets an auto-generated name like "Current Scenario (1)" that you can rename.
Duplicating is the fastest way to model "what if" comparisons. Build your baseline scenario first, duplicate it, then change the specific inputs you want to test.
Renaming, Deleting, and Managing Scenarios
Rename: Double-click any scenario tab to edit the name inline. Press Enter to save or Escape to cancel.
Delete: Click the X icon on a scenario tab to remove it. You'll get a confirmation prompt. This option only appears when you have 2 or more scenarios.
Set as primary: Inside the Configuration section, click the checkmark icon to mark a scenario as the primary one for this client. The primary scenario is what gets used in reporting and summary views. Only one scenario can be primary at a time.
What You Can Configure
Each scenario has three main input sections:
Configuration
Tax Year — 2024, 2025, or 2026
Filing Status — Single, Married Filing Jointly, Married Filing Separately, or Head of Household
State — Any US state plus DC
Number of Dependents
Children Under 17 — Used for Child Tax Credit calculations
Income
Income is split into two columns: entity-specific income (per household member) and household-level income.
Per household member:
W-2 Wages
Self-Employment Income
Social Security Benefits
Retirement Contributions (above-the-line)
Household-level:
Interest Income
Tax-Exempt Interest
Ordinary Dividends
Qualified Dividends
Short-Term Capital Gains
Long-Term Capital Gains
Rental Income
Other Income
Tax-Deferred Retirement Income
Tax-Free Retirement Income
Deductions
Above-the-line:
Retirement Contributions (per person)
HSA Contributions
Below-the-line (choose one):
Standard Deduction — Amount auto-populates based on filing status and tax year
Itemized Deductions — Medical Expenses, State & Local Taxes (SALT, capped at $10,000), Mortgage Interest, and Charitable Contributions
Many of these fields support a Derived toggle. When Derived is on, the value pulls automatically from other client data you've already entered (like wages from Profile or dependents from Household). You can always override with a manual number.
What the Results Show
The right side of the screen updates automatically as you enter inputs. Here's what you'll see:
Income Summary
A full breakdown from Total Income down to Taxable Income, including AGI, Social Security taxability, retirement contribution deductions, and your chosen deduction amount.
Tax Breakdown
Federal Income Tax
State Income Tax
FICA Taxes (Social Security + Medicare)
Net Investment Income Tax (NIIT) — only appears if applicable (3.8% surtax)
Total Tax
Tax Rates
Marginal Tax Bracket — The highest federal bracket the client falls into
Effective Tax Rate — Total tax as a percentage of total income
Tax Distribution Chart
A donut chart showing the visual split between Federal, State, FICA, and NIIT.
NIIT Summary
If the client triggers NIIT, a detailed table appears showing Modified AGI, the NIIT threshold, excess income, net investment income, and the resulting 3.8% tax. It also breaks down which income types count as net investment income.
MAGI Planning Considerations
A table showing how the client's Modified AGI stacks up against key thresholds:
Traditional IRA Deduction eligibility
Roth IRA Contribution eligibility
Child Tax Credit phase-out
Medicare IRMAA Surcharge thresholds
Net Investment Income Tax threshold
Additional Medicare Tax threshold
Capital Gains Rate thresholds (0%, 15%, 20%)
Each row shows the threshold, the client's MAGI, and a color-coded status (green for eligible, yellow for phase-out range, red for not eligible).
Strategic Planning Opportunities
A list of actionable planning ideas based on the scenario's results, covering things like retirement contribution strategies, HSA contributions, income timing, tax-efficient investing, and Backdoor Roth IRA considerations.
Comparing Scenarios
There's no side-by-side comparison panel. Instead, you compare by clicking between scenario tabs. The results column updates instantly when you switch, so you can flip back and forth to see the differences.
Here's a workflow that works well:
Build your baseline — Enter the client's current-year numbers as accurately as possible. Name it something like "2025 Current."
Duplicate it — Click the copy icon to create an identical copy.
Rename the copy — Double-click the tab and give it a descriptive name like "2025 + Roth Conversion" or "2025 Retire Mid-Year."
Change the inputs you're testing — Adjust the specific fields that differ. Everything else stays the same.
Flip between tabs — Click each tab to compare Total Tax, Effective Rate, MAGI thresholds, or whatever matters for this client.
Repeat — Duplicate again if you want to test a third or fourth variation.
Pay attention to the MAGI Planning Considerations table when comparing scenarios. A Roth conversion might increase total tax slightly but keep the client below an IRMAA surcharge threshold, which could save them more in the long run.
Common Use Cases
Roth Conversion Modeling
Duplicate the baseline scenario. Add the conversion amount to Tax-Deferred Retirement Income. Compare the tax hit against the MAGI thresholds to find the sweet spot where you're converting as much as possible without triggering IRMAA or losing other deductions.
Year-End Tax Planning
Late in the year, build a scenario with known income and a second one with estimated year-end numbers (bonus, capital gains distributions, etc.). Compare to decide on timing for charitable contributions, tax-loss harvesting, or retirement contributions.
Filing Status Changes
Duplicate a scenario and change the Filing Status. Useful for clients going through a divorce or marriage to see the tax impact of each filing option.
Retirement Income Planning
Model different withdrawal strategies by adjusting Tax-Deferred vs. Tax-Free Retirement Income between scenarios. See how the mix affects total tax, effective rate, and NIIT exposure.