The Compare page puts up to 4 tax scenarios side by side so you can see exactly how a Roth conversion, a filing status change, or a different income mix moves every number at once. No more flipping between tabs and trying to remember what the federal tax was on the other one.
You'll find it under Planning > Taxes > Compare. You need at least 2 scenarios for a comparison; if you only have one, the page offers a one-click Duplicate current scenario button to get you started.
Setting Up the Comparison
One scenario is always the Baseline (marked with a badge), and every other column shows its differences against that baseline.
Add scenario — Adds another column, up to 4 scenarios total.
Base — Click this on any column to make that scenario the new baseline. Everything re-computes against it.
Swap — Replace a column with a different scenario without rebuilding the comparison.
X — Remove a column.
Your comparison setup is saved in the page URL, so it survives a refresh, and you can bookmark or share the link to come back to the exact same comparison later.
Make your baseline the client's current reality. If you imported their tax return, use the scenario built from it. Deltas are only meaningful when the thing you're comparing against is true.
What the Table Shows
The comparison is organized into collapsible sections:
Income — Total Income, Adjusted Gross Income, Taxable Income
Tax Breakdown — Federal Tax, State Tax, FICA Tax, NIIT, and Total Tax (highlighted, since it's usually the number that decides things)
Rates — Effective Tax Rate, Marginal Bracket, Combined Marginal Rate
Deductions & Credits — the deduction taken (standard vs. itemized), SALT before and after the cap, charitable before and after limits, QBI, and total credits
Planning Room — Roth Conversion amount, Ordinary Bracket Room (how much more ordinary income fits before the next bracket), and 0% LTCG Room (how much long-term gain can be realized at the 0% rate)
Payments — Total Payments and Balance Due / (Refund), shown when the scenario has withholding or estimated payments entered
Each compare column shows its value with the difference from baseline underneath, color-coded (green or red). Two toggles keep the table readable:
Show changed outputs only — hides every row where the scenarios agree, so you're left with just the differences.
Show line deltas — turns the +/− amounts under each value on or off.
Most rows link back to the input field that drives them, so when a number surprises you, you can jump straight to its source.
A Workflow That Works
Build (or import) the baseline scenario and confirm it's right.
Copy it once per idea you want to test: "+ $50k Roth Conversion," "Retire in June," "MFS instead of MFJ."
Open Compare, add the variations, and turn on Show changed outputs only.
Read Total Tax first, then the Rates and Planning Room sections. A variation that adds a little tax but leaves bracket room or 0% LTCG room on the table might be the wrong size, not the wrong idea.
Common Questions
Why is a scenario missing from the Add menu?
It's already in the comparison, or you've hit the 4-scenario limit. Remove or swap a column to free up a slot.
The table says "No output differences between these scenarios."
That means the scenarios produce identical outputs with "Show changed outputs only" turned on. Either the input you changed doesn't affect the calculation, or the two scenarios really are the same. Toggle the filter off to see all rows.
Can I show the comparison to a client?
The Compare page is advisor-facing. For client deliverables, use the scenario's Report view, or pull tax results into a Guide.