EFFICIENT WORK FLOW SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR PROCESSING TAXPAYER SOURCE DOCUMENTS

• US 20080319882A1
• Filed: 06/20/2007
• Published: 12/25/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 06/20/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SurePrep, LLC
• Original Assignee: SurePrep, LLC
• Inventors: Wyle, David A.
• Granted Patent: US 7,769,646 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/31
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/174 Form filling; Merging
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/207 Tax processing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/02 Banking, e.g. interest calculation or account maintenance credit or loans G06Q40/03
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/03 Credit; Loans; Processing thereof
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/123 Tax preparation or submission

Abstract

A method for processing taxpayer source documents is disclosed. The method may include receiving proforma data and an electronic image of a taxpayer source document, determining a type of tax statement for the taxpayer source document from the electronic image of the taxpayer source document and using the proforma data, a database, and business rules to verify the type of the tax statement for the electronic image of the taxpayer source document. This can be done by searching for an identification code within the electronic image of the taxpayer source document to determine whether the identification code matches the proforma data. The method can also include extracting data from the electronic image of the taxpayer source document and determining if the extracted data from the electronic image of the taxpayer source document has an error. Once the data is extracted, the method can also include creating an electronic document that includes the extracted data.

Claims

1. A method of processing a tax payer source document comprising:

receiving proforma data and an electronic image of a taxpayer source document;

determining a type of tax statement for the taxpayer source document from the electronic image of the taxpayer source document;

using the proforma data to verify the type of the tax statement for the electronic image of the taxpayer source document by searching for an identification code within the electronic image of the taxpayer source document to determine whether the identification code matches the proforma data;

extracting data from the electronic image of the taxpayer source document;

determining if the extracted data from the electronic image of the taxpayer source document has an error;

using the proforma data to verify the extracted data from the electronic image of the taxpayer source document; and

creating an electronic document that includes the extracted data.

2. The method of processing a taxpayer source document of claim 1 wherein the data is tax data.

3. The method of processing a taxpayer source document of claim 2 wherein the optical character recognition identifies the type of the tax statement for the taxpayer source document by searching for predetermined characters in predetermined locations of the electronic image of the taxpayer source document.

4. The method of processing a taxpayer source document of claim 3 further comprising selecting a routine corresponding to the type of tax statement for the taxpayer source document.

5. The method of processing a taxpayer source document of claim 4 wherein using proforma data to verify the type of taxpayer source document for the electronic image of the taxpayer source document further includes using the routine corresponding to the type of taxpayer source document and a supplemental database to verify the type of tax statement for the taxpayer source document.

6. The method of processing a taxpayer source document of claim 5 wherein using extracting data from the electronic image of the taxpayer source document further includes using the routine corresponding to the type of tax statement for the taxpayer source document and the supplemental database to extract tax data from the electronic image of the taxpayer source document.

7. The method of processing a taxpayer source document of claim 6 wherein verifying the extracted data from the electronic image of the taxpayer source document that may have potential errors includes flagging the extracted tax data from the electronic image of taxpayer source document that have potential errors based on an inability to extract the tax data with a predetermined amount of accuracy or through an analysis of the tax data using business rules to determine which extracted data needs to verified and verifying the extracted tax data from the electronic image of the taxpayer source document that are flagged.

8. The method of processing a taxpayer source document of claim 7 wherein the taxpayer source document is either a wage document, an investment document, or a deduction document.

9. The method of processing a taxpayer source document of claim 8 further comprising the step of correcting the extracted tax data from the electronic image of the taxpayer source document that are flagged.

10. The method of processing a taxpayer source document of claim 9 further comprising the step of assigning unassociated images of the taxpayer source documents to parent taxpayer source documents.

11. The method of processing a taxpayer source document of claim 10 further comprising the step of assigning unassociated electronic images of the taxpayer source documents to parent taxpayer source documents and determining which electronic images of the taxpayer source documents are superseded.

12. The method of processing a taxpayer source document of claim 11 further comprising the step of determining which electronic images of the taxpayer source documents are duplicates and which electronic images of the taxpayer source documents are new taxpayer source documents.

13. The method of processing a taxpayer source document of claim 12 further comprising supplementing the proforma data with tax data extracted from the electronic image of the taxpayer source documents.

14. A method of processing a taxpayer source document comprising:

receiving proforma data and an electronic image of a taxpayer source document;

determining a type of tax statement for the taxpayer source document from the electronic image of the taxpayer source document;

selecting a routine corresponding to the type of the tax statement for the taxpayer source document;

using the routine corresponding to the type of the tax statement for the taxpayer source document and proforma data to verify the type of the tax statement for the taxpayer source document by searching for an identification code within the electronic image of the taxpayer source document;

using the routine corresponding to the type of the tax statement for the taxpayer source document and proforma data to extract tax data from the electronic image of the taxpayer source document;

determining if the extracted data from the electronic image of the taxpayer source document has an error by flagging and verifying the extracted data from the electronic image of taxpayer source document that may be an error either through an inability to extract the tax data with a predetermined amount of accuracy or an analysis of the extracted tax data using business rules to determine which extracted tax data needs to verified; and

creating an electronic document that includes the extracted data.

15. The method of processing a taxpayer source document of claim 14 wherein the optical character recognition identifies the taxpayer source document by searching for predetermined characters in predetermined locations of the electronic image of the taxpayer source document.

16. The method of processing a taxpayer source document of claim 15 further comprising using a supplemental database to verify the type of taxpayer source document for the electronic image of the taxpayer source document and to extract tax data from the electronic image of the taxpayer source document.

17. The method of processing a taxpayer source document of claim 16 wherein the taxpayer source document is either a wage document, an investment document, or a deduction document.

18. The method of processing a taxpayer source document of claim 17 further comprising correcting the extracted tax data from the electronic image of the taxpayer source document that are flagged.

19. The method of processing a taxpayer source document of claim 18 further comprising:

verifying and correcting the extracted tax data from the electronic image of the taxpayer source document that are flagged;

assigning unassociated images of the taxpayer source documents to parent taxpayer source documents;

determining which electronic images of the taxpayer source documents are superseded;

determining which electronic images of the taxpayer source documents are duplicates;

determining which electronic images of the taxpayer source documents are new taxpayer source documents; and

supplementing the proforma data with tax data extracted from the electronic image of the taxpayer source documents.

20. A method of processing a taxpayer source document comprising:

receiving proforma data and an electronic image of a taxpayer source document;

determining a type of tax statement of the taxpayer source document for the electronic image of the taxpayer source document using optical character recognition by searching for predetermined characters in predetermined locations of the electronic image of the taxpayer source document, wherein the taxpayer source document is either a wage document, an investment document, or a deduction document;

selecting a routine corresponding to the type of taxpayer source document;

using the routine corresponding to the type of taxpayer source document, optical character recognition, a supplemental database, and proforma data to verify the type of taxpayer source document for the electronic image of the taxpayer source document by searching for an identification code within the electronic image of the taxpayer source document;

using the routine corresponding to the type of taxpayer source document, optical character recognition, the supplemental database, and proforma data to extract tax data from the electronic image of the taxpayer source document;

determining if the extracted data from the electronic image of the taxpayer source document has an error by flagging, verifying, and correcting the extracted data from the electronic image of taxpayer source document that may be an error either through an inability to extract the tax data with a predetermined amount of accuracy or an analysis of the extracted tax data using business rules to determine which extracted tax data needs to verified;

assigning the electronic image of the taxpayer source documents to a parent taxpayer source document if the electronic image of the taxpayer source document is not associated with a parent taxpayer source document;

determining if the electronic image of the taxpayer source document is superseded;

determining if the electronic image of the taxpayer source document is a duplicate;

determining if the electronic image of the taxpayer source document is a new taxpayer source document;

supplementing the proforma data with tax data extracted from the electronic image of the taxpayer source document; and

creating an electronic document that includes the extracted tax data.

21. A method of processing a tax payer source document comprising:

receiving an electronic image of a taxpayer source document;

determining a type of tax statement for the taxpayer source document from the electronic image of the taxpayer source document;

using a supplemental database to verify the type of the tax statement for the electronic image of the taxpayer source document by searching for an identification code within the electronic image of the taxpayer source document to determine whether the identification code matches data from the supplemental database;

extracting data from the electronic image of the taxpayer source document;

determining if the extracted data from the electronic image of the taxpayer source document has an error;

using the supplemental database to verify the extracted data from the electronic image of the taxpayer source document; and

creating an electronic document that includes the extracted data.