Streamlined sales tax return preparation

• US 10,332,216 B2
• Filed: 05/10/2013
• Issued: 06/25/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 05/10/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intuit, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Intuit, Inc.
• Inventors: Barsade, Jonathan, Suzanski, Todd M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Fu, Hao
• Application Number:
  US13/891,661
• Publication Number:
  US 20140337189A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,237 Days
• Field of Search: 705 31, 705 36 T, 705 35- 37
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/123 Tax preparation or submission

Abstract

A tool for assisting end-users to comply with complex sales tax compliance requirements by electronically preparing a tax return by dynamically creating and providing to each end-user a first data input page having input fields relating only to types and categories of tax for which each end-user'"'"'s line of business is required to report while suppressing presentation to the end-user data fields which are related to tax types which are not required to be reported or collected for the end-user'"'"'s line of business. Using the streamlined input page, the end-user only provides the relevant data values and avoids seeing or worrying about irrelevant input values. The tool then electronically prepares one or more tax return forms or data files, and optionally submits those to an electronic server corresponding to the tax authority for the appropriate jurisdiction(s) or produces a paper return.

Claims

1. A method for providing a streamlined user interface on a computing device, comprising:

accessing in computer-readable memory by a tax preparation server computer a plurality of system-wide table of tax type universal codes;

disposing in a record in a database, via an authenticated account management user computer interface, one or more enabled tax type universal codes, wherein the enabled tax type universal codes are a unique subset of the plurality of system-wide table of tax type universal codes, wherein the record is associated with a specific end-user, and wherein each enabled tax type universal code corresponds to one or more jurisdiction-specific tax report sections, tax schedules, or both, according to a compliance tax jurisdiction for the specific end-user;

subsequently, generating, by the tax preparation server computer, a unique web form that does not replicate a tax filing form for the compliance tax jurisdiction on a user interface of a computing device in use by the specific end-user, the unique web form having first input fields prompting the specific end-user to input only aggregated sales data values corresponding to each of the one or more enabled tax type universal codes according to the record in the database and suppressing presentation of second input fields for reception of input data values excluded from the unique subset of the plurality of system-wide table of tax type universal codes, thereby reducing display space required on the computing device;

receiving, by the tax preparation server computer via the first input fields, one or more input aggregated sales data values from the computing device; and

preparing, by the tax preparation server computer, an electronic sales tax return using the received one or more input aggregated sales data values according to one or more rules of the compliance tax jurisdiction which apply to the specific end-user, and by associating the received one or more input aggregated sales data values with jurisdiction-specific tax report sections or schedules corresponding to the enabled tax type universal codes in the record in the database, wherein the specific end-user is prevented from authenticating as an account management user.

2. The method as set forth in claim 1, wherein the unique web form comprises a web page.

3. The method as set forth in claim 1, wherein the unique web form is generated in response to input from an application program.

4. The method as set forth in claim 3 wherein the application program is a mobile application.

5. The method as set forth in claim 1, wherein the unique web form comprises an Application Programming Interface.

6. The method as set forth in claim 1, further comprising:

authenticating, by the tax preparation server computer, an administrator user; and

after authenticating the administrator user, generating by the tax preparation server computer an account management input page on a user interface of a computing device in use by the administrator user, wherein;

the account management input page presents one or more enabled tax type universal codes that can be disabled by the administrator user, and one or more disabled tax type universal codes that can be enabled by the administrator user;

the unique web form and the account management input page are separate and distinct from each other; and

display of the account management input page to the specific end-user is prevented.

7. The method as set forth in claim 6, further comprising generating, by the tax preparation server computer, one or more selectable lines of business profiles on the account management input page that, when selected by the administrator user, cause the tax preparation server computer to enable and disable the tax type universal codes in a predetermined configuration.

8. The method as set forth in claim 1, wherein enabled and disabled tax type universal code definitions are stored in a user account record associated with the specific end-user.

9. The method as set forth in claim 1, wherein the computing device is a mobile device.

10. The method as set forth in claim 1, wherein the unique web form is generated at each filing period associated with the compliance tax jurisdiction.

11. The method as set forth in claim 10, further comprising electronically filing the tax return by the tax preparation server computer to a jurisdictional tax server.

12. The method as set forth in claim 11, further comprising submitting a tax payment by the tax preparation server computer to a payment processing service corresponding to a value due in the tax return.

13. The method as set forth in claim 1, wherein the first input fields comprise one or more input prompts selected from the group consisting of a web form field and a voice prompt, and wherein the one or more to input aggregated sales data values received from the first input fields comprises one or more data values received from the group consisting of a typed value, an input from a handwriting recognizer, an input from a telephone dialing code recognizer, and an input from a voice recognizer.

14. A computer program product comprising:

one or more tangible computer memory devices; and

program instructions encoded by the one or more tangible computer memory devices for causing a tax preparation server computer to perform an operation for providing a streamlined user interface on a computing device, the operation comprising;

accessing in computer-readable memory a plurality of system-wide table of tax type universal codes;

disposing in a record in a database, via an authenticated account management user computer interface, one or more enabled tax type universal codes, wherein the enabled tax type universal codes are a unique subset of the plurality of system-wide table of tax type universal codes, wherein the record is associated with a specific end-user, and wherein each enabled tax type universal code corresponds to one or more jurisdiction-specific tax report sections, tax schedules, or both, according to a compliance tax jurisdiction for the specific end user;

subsequently, generating a unique web form that does not replicate a tax filing form for the compliance tax jurisdiction on a user interface of a computing device in use by the specific end-user, the unique wed form having first input fields prompting the specific end-user to input only aggregated sales data values corresponding to each of the one or more enabled tax type universal codes according to the record in the database and suppressing presentation of second input fields for reception of input data values excluded from the unique subset of the plurality of system-wide table of tax type universal codes, thereby reducing display space required on the computing device,

receiving one or more input aggregated sales data values via the first input fields from the computing device; and

preparing an electronic sales tax return using the received one or more input aggregated sales data values according to one or more rules of the compliance tax jurisdiction which apply to the specific end-user, and by associating the received one or more input aggregated sales data values with jurisdiction-specific tax report sections or schedules corresponding to the enabled tax type universal codes in the record in the database,

wherein the end-user is prevented from authenticating as an account management user.

15. The computer program product as set forth in claim 14, wherein the operation further comprises:

authenticating an administrator user; and

after authenticating the administrator user, generating an account management input page on a user interface of a computing device in use by the administrator user, wherein;

the account management input page presents one or more enabled tax type universal codes that can be disabled by the administrator user, and one or more disable tax type universal codes that can be enabled by the administrator user;

the unique wed form and the account management input page are separate and district from each other; and

display of the account management input page to the specific end-user is prevented.

16. The computer program product as set forth in claim 15, wherein the operation further comprises:

generating one or more selectable lines of business profiles profiles on the account management input page that, when selected by the administrator user, causes the tax preparation server computer to enable and disable the tax type universal codes in a predetermined configuration.

17. The computer program product as set forth in claim 14, wherein the first input fields comprise one or more input prompts selected from the group consisting of a web form field and a voice prompt.

18. A system comprising:

a tax preparation server computer having a processor for performing logical operations;

one or more tangible computer memory devices accessible by the processor; and

program instructions encoded by the one or more tangible computer memory devices for causing the tax preparation server computer to perform an operation for providing a streamlined user interface on a computing device, the operation comprising;

accessing in computer-readable memory a plurality of system-wide table of tax type universal codes;

disposing in a record in a database, via an authenticated account management user computer interface, one or more enabled tax type universal codes, wherein the enabled tax type universal codes are a unique subset of the plurality of system-wide table of tax type universal codes, wherein the record is associated with a specific end-user, and wherein each enabled tax type universal code corresponds to one or more jurisdiction-specific tax report sections, tax schedules, or both, according to a compliance tax jurisdiction for the specific end-user;

subsequently, generating a unique web form that does not replicate a tax filing form for the compliance tax jurisdiction on a user interface of a computing device in use by the specific end-user, the unique web form having first input fields prompting the specific end-user to input only aggregated sales data values corresponding to each of the one or more enabled tax type universal codes according to the record in the database and suppressing presentation of second input fields for reception of input data values excluded from the unique subset of the plurality of system-wide table of tax type universal codes, thereby reducing display space required on the computing device;

receiving one or more input aggregated sales data values via the first input fields from the computing device; and

preparing an electronic sales tax return using the received one or more input aggregated sales data values according to one or more rules of the compliance tax jurisdiction which apply to the specific end-user, and by associating the received one or more input aggregated sales data values with jurisdiction-specific tax report sections or schedules corresponding to the enabled tax type universal codes in the record in the database, wherein the end-user is prevented from authenticating as an account management user.

19. The system as set forth in Claim 18, wherein the operation further comprises:

authenticating an administrator user; and

after authenticating the administrator user, generating an account management input page on a user interface of a computing device in use by the administrator user, wherein;

the account management input page presents one or more enabled tax type universal codes that can be disable by the administrator user, and one or more disable tax type universal codes that can be enabled by the administrator user;

the unique web form and the account management input page are separate and distinct from each other; and

display of the account management input page to the specific end-user is prevented.

20. The system as set forth in claim 19, wherein the operation further comprises:

generating one or more selectable lines of business profiles on the account management input page that, when selected by the administrator user, causes the tax preparation server computer to enable and disable the tax type universal codes in a predetermined configuration.