Abstract: The system is configured to create a generalized document automation framework that captures relevant data from documents based upon replicating historical human actions associated with a document. The system may use machine vision and natural language processing to match a new document to a document that was already human extracted in an existing corpus. This is accomplished by comparing both visual elements and textual elements. This match can be verified by statistical approaches by comparing the match metrics across multiple documents. After the match has been found and verified, the system then uses the historical extractions from the historical document and maps the extractions to similar regions in the new document based upon again both visual and text commonalities between documents. Data is then extracted from these regions of interest in the new document, sanity checked for data integrity against historical data, and then passed downstream for processing.

Abstract: The system is configured to create a generalized document automation framework that captures relevant data from documents based upon replicating historical human actions associated with a document. The system may use machine vision and natural language processing to match a new document to a document that was already human extracted in an existing corpus. This is accomplished by comparing both visual elements and textual elements. This match can be verified by statistical approaches by comparing the match metrics across multiple documents. After the match has been found and verified, the system then uses the historical extractions from the historical document and maps the extractions to similar regions in the new document based upon again both visual and text commonalities between documents. Data is then extracted from these regions of interest in the new document, sanity checked for data integrity against historical data, and then passed downstream for processing.

Abstract: Methods, systems, and apparatus for automatically obtaining tax documents. The system includes a taxpayer client device and a server configured to automatically identify tax return items associated with the taxpayer by analyzing a prior year tax return. The server is configured to generate a list of tax return items including the automatically identified tax return items. The server is configured to receive, from the taxpayer client device, authentication data for a third party database. The server is configured to access the third party database using the authentication data. The server is configured to receive a document from the third party database and automatically determine whether the document corresponds to a tax return item from the list of tax return items. The server is configured to automatically store the document when the document corresponds to one of the tax return items from the list of tax return items.

Abstract: Methods, systems, and apparatus for automatically obtaining tax documents. The system includes a taxpayer client device and a server configured to automatically identify tax return items associated with the taxpayer by analyzing a prior year tax return. The server is configured to generate a list of tax return items including the automatically identified tax return items. The server is configured to receive, from the taxpayer client device, authentication data for a third party database. The server is configured to access the third party database using the authentication data. The server is configured to receive a document from the third party database and automatically determine whether the document corresponds to a tax return item from the list of tax return items. The server is configured to automatically store the document when the document corresponds to one of the tax return items from the list of tax return items.

Abstract: Methods, systems, and apparatus for facilitating interactions between a taxpayer and a tax preparer. The system includes a taxpayer client device configured to provide a graphical user interface to a user for receiving and displaying data in a consistent manner. The system also includes a signature unit configured to receive taxpayer signature data from the taxpayer client device via the graphical user interface. The system also includes a document upload unit configured to receive tax document data from the taxpayer client device via the graphical user interface. The system also includes a secure messaging unit configured to facilitate securely exchanging messages between devices. The system also includes an E-File authorization unit configured to receive taxpayer E-File authorization data from the taxpayer client device via the graphical user interface. The system also includes a payment unit configured to receive payment data from the taxpayer client device via the graphical user interface.

Abstract: The system is configured to create a generalized document automation framework that captures relevant data from documents based upon replicating historical human actions associated with a document. The system may use machine vision and natural language processing to match a new document to a document that was already human extracted in an existing corpus. This is accomplished by comparing both visual elements and textual elements. This match can be verified by statistical approaches by comparing the match metrics across multiple documents. After the match has been found and verified, the system then uses the historical extractions from the historical document and maps the extractions to similar regions in the new document based upon again both visual and text commonalities between documents. Data is then extracted from these regions of interest in the new document, sanity checked for data integrity against historical data, and then passed downstream for processing.

Abstract: A system and method are disclosed for using a local neighborhood for determining similar targets in different documents or using implicit coordinates for obtaining a coordinate location of a target. The local neighborhood method may include identifying a first target in a first document; identifying one or more first elements within a first distance range from the first target; creating a first local neighborhood based on the identifying; determining that that first local neighborhood is similar to a third local neighborhood in a second document; and determining a second target in the second document that corresponds to the first target in the first document, based on the determining the similarity. The implicit coordinates method may include performing OCR on the first document to find the first target; and obtaining a first location of the first target by using at least one of OCR or element recognition.

Abstract: Methods, systems, and apparatus for automatically assembling documents. The system includes a client device which communicates a document file. The system includes a server which receives, from the client device, the document file, and automatically detects document data. The server stores a data resource, and transform the data resource to include the document data. The server provides access to the data of the data resource to the client device and a preparer client device when the preparer is authorized by the user. The server removes access to the data of the data resource to the preparer client device when authorization of the preparer is removed by the user. The server provides access to a client device associated with a new preparer when the new preparer is authorized by the user. The server provides the data resource to a secondary system configured to automatically generate a completed form for the user.

Abstract: Methods, systems, and apparatus for automatically obtaining tax documents. The system includes a taxpayer client device and a server configured to automatically identify tax return items associated with the taxpayer by analyzing a prior year tax return. The server is configured to generate a list of tax return items including the automatically identified tax return items. The server is configured to receive, from the taxpayer client device, authentication data for a third party database. The server is configured to access the third party database using the authentication data. The server is configured to receive a document from the third party database and automatically determine whether the document corresponds to a tax return item from the list of tax return items. The server is configured to automatically store the document when the document corresponds to one of the tax return items from the list of tax return items.

Abstract: Methods, systems, and apparatus for automatically obtaining tax documents. The system includes a taxpayer client device and a server configured to automatically identify tax return items associated with the taxpayer by analyzing a prior year tax return. The server is configured to generate a list of tax return items including the automatically identified tax return items. The server is configured to receive, from the taxpayer client device, authentication data for a third party database. The server is configured to access the third party database using the authentication data. The server is configured to receive a document from the third party database and automatically determine whether the document corresponds to a tax return item from the list of tax return items. The server is configured to automatically store the document when the document corresponds to one of the tax return items from the list of tax return items.

Abstract: Systems and methods for automatically verifying optical character recognition (OCR) detected text of a native electronic document having an image layer comprising a matrix of pixels and a text layer comprising a sequence of characters. The method includes determining a location of OCR-detected text in the text layer of the native electronic document based on a pixel-based coordinate location of the OCR-detected text in the image layer of the native electronic document. The method also includes applying the location of the OCR-detected text to the text layer of the native electronic document to detect text in the text layer corresponding to the OCR-detected text. The method also includes rendering only the detected text in the text layer as an output when the OCR-detected text does not match the detected text in the text layer, to improve accuracy of the output text.

Abstract: Systems and methods for automatically verifying optical character recognition (OCR) detected text of a native electronic document having an image layer comprising a matrix of pixels and a text layer comprising a sequence of characters. The method includes determining a location of OCR-detected text in the text layer of the native electronic document based on a pixel-based coordinate location of the OCR-detected text in the image layer of the native electronic document. The method also includes applying the location of the OCR-detected text to the text layer of the native electronic document to detect text in the text layer corresponding to the OCR-detected text. The method also includes rendering only the detected text in the text layer as an output when the OCR-detected text does not match the detected text in the text layer, to improve accuracy of the output text.

Abstract: Methods for automatically verifying text detected by optical character recognition (OCR). The method includes obtaining a native digital document having an image layer comprising a matrix of computer-renderable pixels and a text layer comprising computer-readable encodings of a sequence of characters. The method includes obtaining OCR-detected text from the image layer of the native digital document and a pixel-based coordinate location of the OCR-detected text in the image layer of the native digital document. The method includes determining, using a pixel transformation, a computer-interpretable location of the OCR-detected text in the text layer of the native digital document. The method includes detecting text in the text layer based on the computer-interpretable location of the OCR-detected text in the text layer. The method includes rendering only the detected text in the text layer when the OCR-detected text does not match the detected text in the text layer.

Abstract: Disclosed are systems and methods for automatically verifying text of a native digital document having an image layer and a text layer. The text is detected by optical character recognition (OCR) of the image layer, and is compared to text at a corresponding location in the text layer. Normalization processing is performed on both the detected image-layer text and the text-layer text. When the image-layer text and the text-layer text do not match, the text-layer text may be used or an icon indicating that the image-layer text and the text-layer text do not match is rendered and displayed.

Abstract: Methods for automatically verifying text detected by optical character recognition (OCR). The method includes obtaining a native digital document having an image layer comprising a matrix of computer-renderable pixels and a text layer comprising computer-readable encodings of a sequence of characters. The method includes obtaining OCR-detected text from the image layer of the native digital document and a pixel-based coordinate location of the OCR-detected text in the image layer of the native digital document. The method includes determining, using a pixel transformation, a computer-interpretable location of the OCR-detected text in the text layer of the native digital document. The method includes detecting text in the text layer based on the computer-interpretable location of the OCR-detected text in the text layer. The method includes rendering only the detected text in the text layer when the OCR-detected text does not match the detected text in the text layer.

Abstract: Disclosed are systems and methods for automatically verifying text of a native digital document having an image layer and a text layer. The text is detected by optical character recognition (OCR) of the image layer, and is compared to text at a corresponding location in the text layer. Normalization processing is performed on both the detected image-layer text and the text-layer text. When the image-layer text and the text-layer text do not match, the text-layer text may be used or an icon indicating that the image-layer text and the text-layer text do not match is rendered and displayed.

Abstract: Methods, systems, and apparatus for automatically assembling documents. The system includes a client device which communicates a document file. The system includes a server which receives, from the client device, the document file, and automatically detects document data. The server stores a data resource, and transform the data resource to include the document data. The server provides access to the data of the data resource to the client device and a preparer client device when the preparer is authorized by the user. The server removes access to the data of the data resource to the preparer client device when authorization of the preparer is removed by the user. The server provides access to a client device associated with a new preparer when the new preparer is authorized by the user. The server provides the data resource to a secondary system configured to automatically generate a completed form for the user.

Abstract: Methods, systems, and apparatus for facilitating interactions between a taxpayer and a tax preparer. The system includes a taxpayer client device configured to provide a graphical user interface to a user for receiving and displaying data in a consistent manner. The system also includes a signature unit configured to receive taxpayer signature data from the taxpayer client device via the graphical user interface. The system also includes a document upload unit configured to receive tax document data from the taxpayer client device via the graphical user interface. The system also includes a secure messaging unit configured to facilitate securely exchanging messages between devices. The system also includes an E-File authorization unit configured to receive taxpayer E-File authorization data from the taxpayer client device via the graphical user interface. The system also includes a payment unit configured to receive payment data from the taxpayer client device via the graphical user interface.

Abstract: Methods, systems, and apparatus for automatically categorizing digital tax documents. The system includes a server configured to automatically identify tax return items associated with the taxpayer by analyzing a prior year tax return. The server is configured to generate a list of tax return items including the automatically identified tax return items. The server is configured to communicate, to the taxpayer client, the list of tax return items. The taxpayer client device is configured to receive a document and display, via a graphical user interface, the list of tax return items. The taxpayer client device is configured to receive, via the graphical user interface, an identification of a tax return item associated with the document. The taxpayer client device is configured to communicate, to the server, the document and the identification of the tax return item. The server is configured to automatically name the document, and automatically store the document.

Abstract: Methods, systems, and apparatus for automatically obtaining tax documents. The system includes a taxpayer client device and a server configured to automatically identify tax return items associated with the taxpayer by analyzing a prior year tax return. The server is configured to generate a list of tax return items including the automatically identified tax return items. The server is configured to receive, from the taxpayer client device, authentication data for a third party database. The server is configured to access the third party database using the authentication data. The server is configured to receive a document from the third party database and automatically determine whether the document corresponds to a tax return item from the list of tax return items. The server is configured to automatically store the document when the document corresponds to one of the tax return items from the list of tax return items.