System and method for acquiring tax data for use in tax preparation software

• US 8,606,665 B1
• Filed: 09/14/2007
• Issued: 12/10/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 12/30/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: HRB Tax Group Incorporated (H&R Block, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: HRB Tax Group Incorporated (H&R Block, Inc.)
• Inventors: Shaw, Neal
• Primary Examiner(s): Ebersman, Bruce I
• Application Number:
  US11/855,724
• Time in Patent Office: 2,279 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 705/31
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/00 Finance; Insurance; Tax strategies; Processing of corporate or income taxes
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/123 Tax preparation or submission

Abstract

An automated system and method for acquiring tax data and importing it into tax preparation software. Tax documents are acquired electronically in a tax data acquisition process by scanning, faxing, or emailing them. Once a tax document is in electronic form, an optical character recognition (OCR) software process obtains tax data from the electronic tax document. Each piece of tax data that is obtained from the OCR software process is then imported into tax preparation software. Once the tax data has been imported into tax preparation software, the software may be used to complete a tax return. An important step in the tax return preparation process is automated so the need for tax professionals to spend time entering tax data into tax preparation software is reduced and data entry errors are reduced. Tax professionals may devote more time to preparing tax returns and less time to data entry.

Claims

1. A computerized method for preparing a tax return comprising the steps of:

(a) assigning at a first computer a check-in identifier to each of a plurality of taxpayers completing a check-in procedure at a retail tax office;

(b) acquiring at said first computer a plurality of source tax documents in an electronic image format, said source tax documents corresponding to paper tax documents and comprising tax data for one of said taxpayers;

(c) applying at said first computer an optical character recognition process to each of said source tax documents to identify tax data values in each of said source tax documents;

(d) associating said tax data values from each of said source tax documents with said assigned check-in identifier for said taxpayer;

(e) associating each of said source tax documents in electronic image format with said assigned check-in identifier for said taxpayer;

(f) saving in a database said assigned check-in identifier and said associated tax data values and said source tax documents in electronic image format;

(g) receiving at a second computer executing tax preparation software said assigned check-in identifier;

(h) in response to receiving said assigned check-in identifier, detecting at said second computer a data importation module in communication with said tax preparation software;

(i) in response to detecting said data importation module, loading at said second computer said data importation module to retrieve from said database said tax data values associated with said assigned check-in identifier;

(j) importing said tax data values into said tax preparation software at said second computer;

(k) displaying at said second computer a notification of existence of source tax documents in electronic image format associated with said assigned check-in identifier;

(l) in response to a user request, displaying at said second computer said source tax documents in electronic image format;

(m) calculating at said second computer a tax liability for said taxpayer using said tax data values; and

(n) preparing at said second computer a tax return for said taxpayer comprising said tax liability calculated using said tax data values.

2. The computerized method of claim 1 wherein said tax preparation software at said second computer is a tax preparation system used by a tax professional to prepare an individual tax return for said taxpayer.

3. The computerized method of claim 1 wherein said tax preparation software at said second computer is self-serve tax preparation software used by said taxpayer to prepare an individual tax return.

4. The computerized method of claim 3 wherein said self-serve tax preparation software is selected from the group consisting of self-serve tax preparation software operational at a web site and self-serve tax preparation software operational on said second computer.

5. The computerized method of claim 1 wherein acquiring at a first computer a plurality of source tax documents in electronic image format comprises scanning said source tax documents.

6. The computerized method of claim 1 wherein acquiring at a first computer a plurality of source tax documents in electronic image format comprises faxing said source tax documents.

7. The computerized method of claim 1 wherein acquiring at a first computer a plurality of source tax documents in electronic image format comprises emailing said source tax documents.

8. A computerized system for preparing a tax return comprising:

a server comprising a plurality of software processes for obtaining tax data values, said processes comprising;

(a) an acquire source tax document process for obtaining in electronic image format tax documents corresponding to paper tax documents and comprising tax data for a plurality of taxpayers;

(b) an optical character recognition process for identifying tax data values in said electronic image format tax documents;

(c) a store data process for storing an assigned check-in identifier for one of said taxpayers with;

(i) said tax data values from each of said source tax documents; and

(ii) said electronic image format tax documents from each of said source tax documents;

(d) an import source tax data process for;

(i) locating said tax data values for said taxpayer according to said assigned check-in identifier;

(ii) importing said tax data values into tax preparation software; and

a client computer comprising tax preparation software for;

(e) displaying at said client computer a notification of existence of said electronic image format tax documents;

(f) in response to a user request, displaying at said second computer said source tax documents in electronic image format;

(g) calculating at said client computer a tax liability for said taxpayer using said imported tax data values; and

(h) completing at said client computer a tax return for said taxpayer comprising said calculated tax liability.

9. The system of claim 8 wherein said tax preparation software is a tax preparation system used by a tax professional to prepare an individual tax return for said taxpayer.

10. The system of claim 8 wherein said tax preparation software is self-serve tax preparation software used by said taxpayer to prepare an individual tax return.

11. The system of claim 8 wherein said self-serve tax preparation software is selected from the group consisting of self-serve tax preparation software operational at a web site and self-serve tax preparation software operational on a personal computer.

12. The system of claim 8 wherein said acquire source tax document process obtains electronic image format tax documents using a scanning process.

13. The system of claim 8 wherein said acquire source tax document process obtains electronic image format tax documents by fax.

14. The system of claim 8 wherein said acquire source tax document process obtains electronic image format tax documents by email.

15. A computerized method for preparing a tax return at a retail tax office comprising:

(a) assigning in a first computer a check-in identifier to a taxpayer completing a check-in procedure at a retail tax office;

(b) obtaining paper tax documents from said taxpayer, said paper tax documents comprising tax data for completing a tax return;

(c) scanning at said first computer said tax documents from said taxpayer to create electronic image format tax documents comprising tax data;

(d) applying at said first computer an optical character recognition process to said electronic tax documents to identify tax data values in said electronic tax documents;

(e) associating at said first computer said tax data values with said check-in identifier;

(f) associating at said first computer said electronic image format tax documents with said check-in identifier;

(g) saving said check-in identifier, said electronic image format tax documents, and said tax data values in a database;

(h) activating at a second computer tax preparation software for completing a tax return;

(i) receiving at said second computer said check-in identifier;

(j) in response to receiving said check-in identifier, detecting a data importation module in communication with said tax preparation software;

(k) in response to detecting said data importation module, loading at said second computer said data importation module to import said tax data values into said tax preparation software at said second computer using said check-in identifier to locate said tax data values from said database;

(l) displaying at said second computer a notification of existence of said electronic image format tax documents;

(m) in response to a user request, displaying at said second computer said source tax documents in electronic image format;

(n) calculating a tax liability using said imported tax data values; and

(o) completing at said second computer said tax return with said tax liability.

16. The computerized method of claim 15 further comprising correcting discrepancies between said tax data values and data from said electronic image format tax documents.

17. The computerized method of claim 15 further comprising creating a tax form comprising said tax data values.

18. The computerized method of claim 15 further comprising electronically filing said tax return comprising imported tax data values.