System and method for online bill payment
First Claim
1. A web-based accounting software application adapted to be used by a tax service provider for automatically transacting delivery of fileable tax documents in exchange for payment for services, the software application being associated with a computer-based system operated by the tax service provider comprising:
- means for automatically generating, by a tax service provider a preliminary tax document in a first format, the first format incorporating an element adapted to deter filing the preliminary tax document with a tax authority and otherwise being substantially in a fileable format;
means for presenting, by the tax service provider, the preliminary tax document to a user via web-based communication;
means for the tax service provider receiving an approval message, the approval message from the user indicating that the preliminary tax document is approved;
means for automatically generating, by the tax service provider, an invoice related to the preliminary tax document in response to the received approval message;
means for automatically notifying, by the tax service provider, the user of the invoice for payment, the notifying means automatically generating an email to an address associated with the user, wherein the email comprises one or more of an invoice document, an embedded link to access an invoice document, and an embedded link to a web page to facilitate payment;
means for determining, by the tax service provider, payment has been made by receipt of an electronic communication from a payment processing entity and automatically storing in a transaction record payment confirmation data related to the payment; and
means for automatically generating, by the tax service provider, a final version of the preliminary tax document in response to determining payment has been made, wherein the final version of the preliminary tax document is the preliminary tax document in a second format excluding the element included in the first format, the element having been automatically removed in response to determining payment has been made, and being in a condition for filing with a tax authority.
4 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
The present invention provides an accounting software application and related system and method for generating and presenting unfileable tax documents to clients for review and upon approval and payment converting the unfileable tax document into a final, fileable document for filing with a tax entity by either the service provider or the client. Watermarks, obscuring text, and other techniques may be employed to render draft tax documents unfileable so as to promote payment of services when presenting work product, such as tax returns, electronically to clients and confirming payment by the client prior to presenting or making accessible a fileable version of the document.
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Citations
28 Claims
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1. A web-based accounting software application adapted to be used by a tax service provider for automatically transacting delivery of fileable tax documents in exchange for payment for services, the software application being associated with a computer-based system operated by the tax service provider comprising:
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means for automatically generating, by a tax service provider a preliminary tax document in a first format, the first format incorporating an element adapted to deter filing the preliminary tax document with a tax authority and otherwise being substantially in a fileable format; means for presenting, by the tax service provider, the preliminary tax document to a user via web-based communication; means for the tax service provider receiving an approval message, the approval message from the user indicating that the preliminary tax document is approved; means for automatically generating, by the tax service provider, an invoice related to the preliminary tax document in response to the received approval message; means for automatically notifying, by the tax service provider, the user of the invoice for payment, the notifying means automatically generating an email to an address associated with the user, wherein the email comprises one or more of an invoice document, an embedded link to access an invoice document, and an embedded link to a web page to facilitate payment; means for determining, by the tax service provider, payment has been made by receipt of an electronic communication from a payment processing entity and automatically storing in a transaction record payment confirmation data related to the payment; and means for automatically generating, by the tax service provider, a final version of the preliminary tax document in response to determining payment has been made, wherein the final version of the preliminary tax document is the preliminary tax document in a second format excluding the element included in the first format, the element having been automatically removed in response to determining payment has been made, and being in a condition for filing with a tax authority. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 28)
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11. A method for automatically delivering accounting related services in exchange for payment for such services using a web-based accounting software application, the method comprising:
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automatically generating, by a computer associated with a tax service provider, a preliminary tax document associated with a user and being in a first format and based at least in part on tax data related to the user, the first format incorporating an element adapted to deter filing the preliminary tax document with a tax authority and otherwise being substantially in a fileable format; presenting, by the computer associated with the tax service provider, the preliminary tax document to the user associated with the preliminary tax document via web-based communication; receiving, by the computer associated with the tax service provider, an approval message, the approval message from the user indicating that the preliminary tax document is approved; automatically generating, by the computer associated with the tax service provider, an invoice related to the preliminary tax document in response to the received approval message; automatically notifying, by the computer associated with the tax service provider, the user of the invoice for payment, the automatically notifying including automatically generating an email to an address associated with the user, wherein the email comprises one or more of an invoice document, an embedded link to access an invoice document, and an embedded link to a web page to facilitate payment; determining, by the computer associated with the tax service provider, payment has been made based on receipt of an electronic communication from a payment processing entity and automatically storing in a transaction record payment confirmation data related to the payment; and automatically generating, by the computer associated with the tax service provider, a final version of the preliminary tax document in response to determining payment has been made, wherein the final version of the preliminary tax document is the preliminary tax document in a second format excluding the element included in the first format, the element having been automatically removed in response to determining payment has been made, and being in a condition for filing with a tax authority. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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20. A computer-based system operated by a tax service provider for providing tax return preparation services to clients over a network, the system comprising:
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a central computer used by a tax service provider and adapted to execute an accounting software application adapted to process client tax data and generate and present fileable tax documents in exchange for payment, the central computer being further adapted to electronically communicate over a communications network with a plurality of client computers and to receive client tax data; wherein the accounting software application comprises; computer executable code adapted to automatically generate by the tax service provider a preliminary tax document in a first format and based at least in part on the client tax data, the first format incorporating an element adapted to deter filing the preliminary tax document with a tax authority and otherwise being substantially in a fileable format; computer executable code adapted to deliver, by the tax service provider, the preliminary tax document to a client computer for review by a user of the client computer; computer executable code adapted to receive at the central computer an approval message from the client computer, the approval message indicating that the preliminary tax document is approved; computer executable code adapted to automatically generate, by the tax service provider, an invoice related to the preliminary tax document in response to the received approval message; computer executable code adapted to automatically notify, by the tax service provider, the user of the invoice for payment, the computer executable code further adapted to automatically generate an email to an address associated with the user, wherein the email comprises one or more of an invoice document, an embedded link to access an invoice document, and an embedded link to a web page to facilitate payment; computer executable code adapted to determine at the central computer payment has been made based on receipt of an electronic communication from a payment processing entity and automatically store in a transaction record payment confirmation data related to the payment; and computer executable code adapted to automatically generate, by the tax service provider, a final version of the preliminary tax document in response to determining payment has been made, the final version of the preliminary tax document being the preliminary tax document in a second format and based at least in part upon client tax data, the second format excluding the element included in the first format, the element having been automatically removed in response to determining payment has been made, and being in a condition for filing with a tax authority. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22)
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23. An accounting software application embodied in non-transitory computer-readable media and for processing client tax data by a tax service provider and generating and automatically presenting fileable tax documents in exchange for payment, the application comprising:
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code adapted to automatically generate, by a computer associated with a tax service provider, a preliminary tax document in a first format and based at least in part on client tax data, the first format incorporating an element adapted to deter filing the preliminary tax document with a tax authority and otherwise being substantially in a fileable format; code adapted to present, by the computer associated with the tax service provider, the preliminary tax document for review by a client; code adapted to receive, by the computer associated with the tax service provider, an approval message from the client indicating that the preliminary tax document is approved; code adapted to automatically generate, by the computer associated with the tax service provider, an invoice related to the preliminary tax document in response to the received approval message; code adapted to automatically notify, by the computer associated with the tax service provider, the client of the invoice for payment, the code further adapted to automatically generate an email to an address associated with the client, wherein the email comprises one or more of an invoice document, an embedded link to access an invoice document, and an embedded link to a web page to facilitate payment; code adapted to determine, by the computer associated with the tax service provider, payment has been made based on receipt of an electronic communication from a payment processing entity and automatically store in a transaction record payment confirmation data related to the payment; and code adapted to automatically generate, by the computer associated with the tax service provider, a final version of the preliminary tax document in response to determining payment has been made, the final version of the preliminary tax document being the preliminary tax document in a second format and based at least in part upon client tax data, the second format excluding the element included in the first format, the element having been automatically removed in response to determining payment has been made, and being in a condition for filing with a tax authority.
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24. An integrated online tax document review, service payment and tax return submission system being operated by a tax service provider and comprising:
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a server associated with a tax service provider connected to a network for transmitting and receiving client data, respectively, to and from client computer-based systems; a web-based accounting software application running on the server; means for automatically generating, by the server associated with the tax service provider, a preliminary tax document in a first format being substantially in a fileable format, and including means for automatically generating an element incorporated in the preliminary tax document and adapted to deter filing the preliminary tax document with a tax authority; means for transmitting, by the server associated with the tax service provider, the preliminary tax document incorporating the element for delivery to a recipient client computer-based system associated with a client via web-based communication; means for receiving, by the server associated with the tax service provider, an approval message from the client, the approval message indicating that the preliminary tax document is approved for filing; means for automatically generating, by the server associated with the tax service provider, an invoice related to the preliminary tax document in response to the received approval message; means for automatically generating, by the server associated with the tax service provider, a notification for the invoice for payment by automatically generating an email to an address associated with the client, wherein the email comprises one or more of an invoice document, an embedded link to access an invoice document, and an embedded link to a web page to facilitate payment; means for determining, by the server associated with the tax service provider, payment has been made based on receipt of an electronic communication associated with the service of preparing a tax return from a payment processing entity and automatically storing in a transaction record payment confirmation data related to the payment; means for automatically generating, by the server associated with the tax service provider, a final version of the preliminary tax document in response to determining payment has been made, wherein the final version of the preliminary tax document is the preliminary tax document in a second format excluding the element included in the first format, the element having been automatically removed by the server in response to determining payment has been made, and being in a condition for filing with a tax authority; and means for transmitting, by the server associated with the tax service provider, the final tax document for delivery to a tax authority. - View Dependent Claims (25, 26, 27)
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Specification