Modeling Limitations & Assumptions
A service of Index Gurus, Inc., a California corporation
Contents
Document versioning
This disclosure describes the DrawDownIQ tax model as deployed on May 14, 2026 (commit 832d0f4). The model is updated periodically. The disclosure document version that applies to any specific DrawDownIQ report is the version that was current at the time the report was generated.
The User acknowledges that DrawDownIQ is under no obligation to retain prior versions of the model or to notify past users of subsequent updates, corrections, or changes to tax law. The User assumes all risk of utilizing downloaded or printed reports that may become inaccurate due to subsequent model updates.
Operator
DrawDownIQ is a software service operated by Index Gurus, Inc., a California corporation. All references to “DrawDownIQ,” “the operator,” “operators,” “we,” “us,” or “our” in this disclosure refer to Index Gurus, Inc. unless context clearly indicates otherwise.
Important Notices
DrawDownIQ is an educational modeling tool, not tax, financial, investment, or legal advice.
DrawDownIQ produces tax-estimate scenarios based solely on the inputs you provide. The results are mathematical projections under simplifying assumptions described in this document. They are not a tax return, not a tax filing, not a recommendation, and not advice of any kind.
Before making any retirement withdrawal, distribution, conversion, sale, or other tax-relevant decision, you must consult a qualified Certified Public Accountant (CPA), Certified Financial Planner (CFP), Enrolled Agent (EA), tax attorney, or other licensed tax professional who can review your full circumstances.
DrawDownIQ does not have the information necessary to give you advice. It does not know about your itemized deductions, tax credits, alternative minimum tax exposure, prior-year carryovers, basis tracking, account beneficiaries, estate plan, state of domicile rules, retirement-plan-specific rules, or many other facts that affect your actual tax outcome. A licensed professional with access to your full picture will reach different conclusions than this tool.
Acknowledgment of Risk and Limitation
By using DrawDownIQ, the User affirmatively assumes the risks set forth in this section:
By using DrawDownIQ, the User expressly acknowledges and agrees that they are assuming all risk associated with use of the tool. The User acknowledges that the outputs are mathematical estimates based on simplifying assumptions, and agrees that they will not rely on these outputs as the sole basis for any financial, tax, or investment decision. The User assumes full responsibility for verifying all outcomes with their own independently retained, licensed tax professional.
Plain-English summary — what DrawDownIQ does and does not do
What it does
DrawDownIQ models federal income tax for retirement-distribution scenarios. It compares different ways of withdrawing from your IRA, Roth IRA, and taxable brokerage accounts, and shows how each strategy affects your federal tax bill for the current tax year.
It accounts for:
- Federal ordinary income tax across all 7 brackets, 5 filing statuses (MFJ, Qualifying Surviving Spouse, Single, Married Filing Separately, Head of Household)
- Long-term capital gains tax with proper “stacking” — LTCG rate depends on where the gain sits on top of ordinary income (0%, 15%, or 20%)
- Net Investment Income Tax (NIIT) of 3.8% on net investment income above filing-status thresholds
- Social Security taxability under the IRS provisional-income formula (IRS Pub 915), correctly including LTCG and qualified dividends in provisional income
- Standard deduction including the age 65+ add-on ($1,650 MFJ per qualifying spouse, $2,050 Single/HoH/MFS per qualifying person)
- The OBBBA Senior Deduction (up to $6,000 per qualifying senior, with 6% phaseout above income thresholds and a hard ceiling at $250,000 MAGI joint / $175,000 non-joint)
- Required Minimum Distribution (RMD) calculations using the IRS Uniform Lifetime Table
What it does NOT do
DrawDownIQ explicitly does NOT model the following. Each item below is something that, if it applies to a user, will cause real-world tax to differ from DrawDownIQ’s estimate.
| Not modeled | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Itemized deductions (mortgage, SALT, charitable, medical) | If your itemized total exceeds standard deduction, real tax will be lower |
| State and local income tax | Your real bill includes state tax, which DrawDownIQ does not estimate |
| Tax credits (CTC, dependent care, education, EV, EITC, energy) | If you qualify for credits, real tax will be lower |
| Alternative Minimum Tax (AMT) | High-income filers with certain deduction patterns may trigger AMT |
| Self-employment tax | FICA-equivalent tax on self-employment income is not modeled |
| Wage / W-2 income payroll tax | Part-time work modeled as ordinary; payroll withholding not modeled |
| IRMAA (Medicare Part B/D surcharges) | Flagged informationally but not included in tax calculation |
| Specific-lot brokerage cost basis | DrawDownIQ uses average-cost-basis methodology |
| Estate, gift, or generation-skipping tax | Lifetime distributions only; estate planning not modeled |
| Roth conversion strategy or pro-rata rules | Withdrawals only, not conversions |
| Pension or annuity exclusion ratios | Pension treated as fully taxable; after-tax basis not modeled |
| State-specific retirement income exemptions | Some states exclude pension or SS income; not accounted for |
| Above-the-line deductions (HSA, IRA contributions, etc.) | Not modeled |
| Penalty taxes (early withdrawal, missed RMD, excess contribution) | Penalties not checked or modeled |
| Foreign income, FTC, expatriate rules | Model assumes US resident with US-source income only |
| Trust, estate, partnership flow-through | Model assumes income reported on Form 1040 directly |
| Multi-year strategies and carryovers | Single tax year only; no NOL/CGL carryovers |
| Inflation adjustments to inputs | Brackets are 2026; future years require manual inflation |
Plain-English bottom line
DrawDownIQ shows you the federal tax effect of different withdrawal mixes under standard simplifying assumptions. It is a “how does the order of withdrawal matter for taxes” tool. It is not a “what will my actual tax bill be” tool, and it should not be used as one.
What the model includes
DrawDownIQ’s tax engine includes the federal tax components listed above (LTCG with stacking, NIIT, age 65+ deduction, OBBBA Senior Deduction, IRS Pub 915 SS taxability with LTCG in provisional income). The model is updated periodically as tax law evolves and modeling improves. The implementation date and version of the model that produced any specific report is recorded at the top of the report and at the top of this disclosure.
DrawDownIQ outputs are estimates under simplifying assumptions. Users should not rely on prior or current outputs as the sole basis for any tax-planning decision and should consult a licensed tax professional to verify any material conclusion.
Technical appendix — calculation assumptions
This appendix is intended for tax professionals reviewing a DrawDownIQ report on behalf of a client.
A. Tax year and filing statuses
- All calculations use tax year 2026 federal tax brackets, standard deduction, and threshold values
- 5 filing statuses supported: MFJ, QW, Single, MFS, HoH
- QW uses the same brackets and standard deduction as MFJ
- MFS LTCG brackets use a top-bracket ceiling of $384,350 (vs. $640,600 Single)
B. Bracket sources
- Ordinary income brackets and standard deduction: 2026 inflation-adjusted values
- LTCG / qualified dividend brackets: 2026 0% / 15% / 20% structure
- NIIT thresholds: statutory amounts not indexed for inflation since 2013
C. Income categorization
Ordinary income (taxed at regular brackets): pension distributions, part-time wage income, interest income, rental income, Traditional IRA / 401(k) distributions, taxable portion of Social Security.
Preferential-rate income (taxed at LTCG brackets, stacking): long-term capital gain on brokerage withdrawals, qualified dividends. All dividends entered are treated as qualified (modeling assumption).
Excluded from federal taxation: Roth distributions, return of basis on brokerage.
D. Brokerage cost basis methodology
Average-cost-basis approach. Realized gain = withdrawal × ((current value − basis) / current value). Specific-lot identification (FIFO, LIFO, specific ID) produces different actual gain on the same withdrawal.
E. Social Security taxability (IRS Pub 915)
provisionalIncome = ordinaryBase + preferentialIncome + (½ × SS), where ordinaryBase excludes SS. LTCG and qualified dividends are included per Pub 915. Two-tier formula: MFJ base $32,000 / upper $44,000; all other statuses base $25,000 / upper $34,000. Maximum 85% of SS is taxable.
F. Standard deduction
Base 2026: MFJ $32,200, QW $32,200, Single $16,100, MFS $16,100, HoH $24,150. Age 65+ add-on per qualifying person: MFJ/QW $1,650 per spouse; Single/MFS/HoH $2,050 per qualifying person.
For non-joint statuses, only primary taxpayer’s age is considered. For joint statuses, both spouses’ ages are considered.
G. OBBBA Senior Deduction
Formula: deduction = IF MAGI ≥ ceiling THEN 0 ELSE max(0, (S × $6,000) − (0.06 × max(0, MAGI − threshold))).
- S = number of qualifying seniors (age 65+) on return, capped at 2
- Joint filers (MFJ, QW): threshold $150,000, ceiling $250,000
- All other filers: threshold $75,000, ceiling $175,000
- Allowed regardless of whether the taxpayer itemizes or takes standard deduction
- Hard ceiling overrides gradual phaseout; deduction goes to zero at ceiling
H. LTCG tax stacking
LTCG and qualified dividends are taxed using bracket stacking on top of ordinary taxable income. A taxpayer with low ordinary income may pay 0% on some or all of their LTCG; a taxpayer whose ordinary income alone exceeds the 0% ceiling will pay 15%+ on all LTCG.
I. Net Investment Income Tax (NIIT)
investmentIncome = LTCG + qualified divs + interest + rental (excludes pension, IRA distributions, SS, wages). niitBase = min(investmentIncome, max(0, MAGI − threshold)). NIIT = niitBase × 3.8%. Thresholds: MFJ/QW $250,000; Single/HoH $200,000; MFS $125,000.
J. MAGI
DrawDownIQ treats MAGI as equal to AGI. MAGI differs from AGI when the taxpayer has muni interest, foreign earned income exclusion, foreign housing exclusion, excluded savings bond interest, adoption assistance, domestic production deduction, student loan interest, or tuition/fees deduction.
K. State income tax
Not calculated. DrawDownIQ removed state-tax estimation in May 2026 to avoid producing inaccurate state-level numbers. Users should add state tax liability separately. Notes: CA/NY/OR/MN tax LTCG at ordinary rates; FL/TX/NV/WA/WY have no income tax; IL/PA/MS have retirement-income exemptions.
L. RMD calculation
IRS Uniform Lifetime Table (ages 72–119+). RMD age 73 per SECURE 2.0 Act. Model does not handle Joint Life Tables (spouse > 10 years younger), inherited IRAs, or stretch IRA rules. Does not warn about missed-RMD penalties.
M. Other modeling simplifications
Tax year 2026 only; no multi-year optimization; no capital loss carryovers; no NOL carryovers; no prior-year AMT credit; no QBI deduction (Section 199A); no PTC reconciliation; no Saver’s Credit; no Foreign Tax Credit; no depreciation schedules or recapture; no installment sale handling; no Section 121 home sale exclusion; no Section 1031 like-kind exchange.
N. Calculation rounding
Internal calculations performed at full floating-point precision. Display values rounded to nearest dollar. Sub-dollar precision available in the calculation detail page.
O. Calculation transparency
Per-scenario “Calculation Detail” page is available, showing the full line-by-line walkthrough of how each scenario’s federal tax was computed — income categorization, deductions, taxable income split between ordinary and LTCG, and tax calculations — to support audit and verification by the user or their tax professional.
P. Tax law uncertainty and model dependency
Tax law changes. IRS guidance evolves. Future legislation may alter or repeal currently-modeled provisions including, but not limited to, the OBBBA Senior Deduction and IRS bracket adjustments. By using the tool, the User affirmatively assumes the following:
The User acknowledges that tax laws, including the OBBBA Senior Deduction and IRS bracket adjustments, are subject to change without notice. DrawDownIQ assumes no liability for outputs generated during transition periods or before IRS guidance is formally codified into the model. The User assumes all risk of utilizing the tool during periods of legislative uncertainty.
Q. IRMAA observation — informational only
DrawDownIQ flags scenarios where modeled MAGI crosses an IRMAA tier threshold. This is informational only.
The User acknowledges that any IRMAA tier warnings are strictly informational observations. The User agrees not to construe these observations as Medicare premium planning advice.
Liability and disclaimer
Educational use only
DrawDownIQ is provided for educational and modeling purposes only. The outputs are estimates and projections under simplifying assumptions, not advice.
No professional relationship; operator licensing
Use of DrawDownIQ does not create an accountant-client, attorney-client, advisor-client, or fiduciary relationship between the User and DrawDownIQ, its operators, or its affiliates.
The User acknowledges that while the operator of DrawDownIQ is a Registered Investment Advisor, the use of this tool does not establish an advisory, fiduciary, or professional relationship of any kind. The tool provides software-generated estimates, not personalized financial advice.
No warranty (conspicuous disclosure)
DRAWDOWNIQ IS PROVIDED STRICTLY ON AN “AS IS” AND “AS AVAILABLE” BASIS. THE USER EXPLICITLY ACKNOWLEDGES THAT THE OPERATOR DISCLAIMS ALL WARRANTIES, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, AND ACCURACY. THE USER BEARS THE ENTIRE RISK AS TO THE QUALITY AND PERFORMANCE OF THE TOOL.
Limitation of liability
To the maximum extent permitted by applicable law, the User acknowledges and agrees that the maximum aggregate liability of DrawDownIQ, its operators, and affiliates for any direct damages arising out of or relating to the use of the tool shall be strictly limited to the total amount of subscription fees paid by the User to DrawDownIQ in the twelve (12) months immediately preceding the event giving rise to the claim.
Indemnification
The User agrees to indemnify, defend, and hold harmless DrawDownIQ and its operators from and against any claims, liabilities, damages, or legal fees arising out of the User’s sharing of, or reliance upon, DrawDownIQ outputs with third parties.
For Professional / Advisor Users
For Professional/Advisor Users: The Advisor acknowledges and agrees that they retain sole fiduciary and professional responsibility for their clients. The Advisor assumes all risk associated with utilizing DrawDownIQ outputs in their professional practice and acknowledges that the tool does not satisfy any of the Advisor’s independent professional due diligence duties.
Data storage and third-party infrastructure
The User acknowledges that financial inputs are stored using third-party infrastructure (e.g., Supabase) and assumes all risks associated with the digital transmission and storage of this data. DrawDownIQ disclaims liability for third-party data breaches to the maximum extent permitted by law.
User responsibility
You are responsible for verifying any DrawDownIQ output against your own records and consulting appropriately licensed professionals before acting on any modeled scenario.
Updates and changes
DrawDownIQ assumptions, formulas, and constants are updated periodically as tax law changes or modeling improves. The version of the model that produced any specific report may differ from the current model. The version this disclosure describes is recorded at the top of this document.
Governing law and dispute resolution
This Agreement shall be governed by the laws of the State of California. The User expressly acknowledges the inherent risks of relying on automated tools for tax-planning and agrees that any dispute, controversy, or claim shall be brought exclusively in the state or federal courts located in Contra Costa County, California. The User waives any right to participate in a class action lawsuit or class-wide arbitration against DrawDownIQ or its operators.
Severability
If any provision of this disclosure is found to be unlawful, void, or for any reason unenforceable, then that provision shall be deemed severable from this agreement and shall not affect the validity and enforceability of any remaining provisions.
Signup-flow click-through acknowledgment
The following acknowledgment is presented to each User during account signup, requiring affirmative click before account creation completes:
By clicking “I Agree,” you expressly acknowledge and agree that you are assuming all risk associated with the use of DrawDownIQ. You acknowledge that the outputs are mathematical estimates based on simplifying assumptions, and you agree that you will not rely on these outputs as the sole basis for any financial, tax, or investment decision. You assume full responsibility for verifying all outcomes with your own independently retained, licensed tax professional.
Document changelog
| Date | Version | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2026-05-05 | Draft 1 | Initial drafting based on Batch 1 deployed model + Batch 2 design |
| 2026-05-06 | Draft 2 | Updated to reflect Batch 2 deployment. Added technical appendix, OBBBA breakdown, verification scenarios section. |
| 2026-05-06 | Draft 2.1 | Reframed “what changed” section as “what the model includes” — removed language asserting prior-version reports differ. |
| 2026-05-14 | Draft 3.0 | Incorporated counsel feedback (15 review items). Added counsel-drafted language for click-through acknowledgment, AS IS warranty (conspicuous), liability cap (12 months subscription fees), governing law (California, Contra Costa County), class action waiver, RIA-operator identity, indemnification, advisor-user duties, third-party data infrastructure, tax-law-uncertainty acknowledgment, IRMAA informational-only acknowledgment. Removed customer-facing verification-scenarios section. |
| 2026-05-14 | Draft 3.1 | Housekeeping additions per counsel follow-up: Operator section identifying Index Gurus, Inc.; Severability clause; cosmetic edit replacing “By clicking I Agree” with “By using DrawDownIQ” in the static disclosure section. |