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 transacting delivery of fileable tax documents in exchange for payment for services, the software application comprising:
- means for generating a preliminary tax document;
means for presenting the preliminary tax document to a user via web-based communication;
means for the tax service provider receiving an approval message, the approval message indicating that the preliminary tax document is approved;
means for the tax service provider receiving an indication of payment; and
means for generating a final tax document upon receipt of the indication of payment, the final tax document being based at least in part upon data associated with the preliminary tax document.
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
32 Claims
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1. A web-based accounting software application adapted to be used by a tax service provider for transacting delivery of fileable tax documents in exchange for payment for services, the software application comprising:
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means for generating a preliminary tax document; means for presenting the preliminary tax document to a user via web-based communication; means for the tax service provider receiving an approval message, the approval message indicating that the preliminary tax document is approved; means for the tax service provider receiving an indication of payment; and means for generating a final tax document upon receipt of the indication of payment, the final tax document being based at least in part upon data associated with the preliminary tax document. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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14. A method for 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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generating a preliminary tax document associated with a user and based at least in part on user related tax data; presenting the preliminary tax document to the associated user via web-based communication; receiving by the tax service provider an approval message, the approval message indicating that the preliminary tax document is approved; receiving by the tax service provider an indication of payment; and generating a final tax document upon receipt of the indication of payment and based at least in part upon data associated with the preliminary tax document. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25)
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26. A computer-based system 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 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; code adapted to generate a preliminary tax document based at least in part on the client tax data; code adapted to deliver the preliminary tax document to a client computer for review by a user of the client computer; 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; code adapted to receive at the central computer an indication of payment; and code adapted to generate a final tax document upon receipt of the indication of payment, the final tax document being based at least in part upon client tax data. - View Dependent Claims (27, 28, 29, 30, 31)
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32. An accounting software application embodied in computer-readable media and for generating and presenting fileable tax documents in exchange for payment, the application comprising;
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code adapted to generate a preliminary tax document based at least in part on client tax data; code adapted to present the preliminary tax document for review by a client; code adapted to receive an approval message indicating that the preliminary tax document is approved; code adapted to receive an indication of payment; and code adapted to generate a final tax document upon receipt of the indication of payment, the final tax document being based at least in part upon client tax data.
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Specification