Abstract: A method and system provide estimated tax refund data to a user of a tax return preparation system throughout personalized tax return preparation interview. The method and system receive current user tax related data associated with the user, retrieve tax rules data, and gather historical tax related data associated with historical users of the tax return preparation system. The method and system further generate probabilistic inference data including inferences about tax related characteristics of the user based on the historical tax related data and the tax rules data. The method and system provide estimated tax refund data to the user based on the probabilistic inference data.

Abstract: A computer-implemented system and method for predicting rule-based compliance scenarios to implement rule-based topic determinations. A server computing device generates a compliance scenario prediction model by training a machine learning model for a topic with historical user data and cohort labels created by analyzing the scenarios in a completeness graph to predict a set of scenario cohorts that constitute a set of most probable compliance scenarios. The server computing device executes the scenario prediction model to process a user profile including data features associated with the topic to predict a scenario cohort and a compliance scenario corresponding to the predicted cohort for the user. The server computing device automatically infers one or more personalized responses to at least one question of the respective decision node based on the predicted compliance scenario.

Abstract: A network-based synchronization system includes a server executing an electronic tax preparation program. The server is in communication with first and second computing devices through first and second networks. The first computing device utilizes the electronic tax preparation program. The second computing device is a mobile communication device including an image acquisition component and a mobile application executing thereon. The server, and the first and second computing devices are cooperatively operable through the first and second networks to synchronize the electronic tax preparation program and the mobile application based at least in part upon data acquired by the image acquisition component. The server receives the data acquired by the image acquisition component and transmits the data to the first computing device to synchronize the mobile application and the electronic tax preparation program.

Abstract: A method and system provide estimated tax refund data to a user of a tax return preparation system throughout personalized tax return preparation interview. The method and system receive current user tax related data associated with the user, retrieve tax rules data, and gather historical tax related data associated with historical users of the tax return preparation system. The method and system further generate probabilistic inference data including inferences about tax related characteristics of the user based on the historical tax related data and the tax rules data. The method and system provide estimated tax refund data to the user based on the probabilistic inference data.

Abstract: A method for performing transactions using an aggregate payment medium involves obtaining payee data associated with a payee, obtaining transaction data associated with a transaction to be performed between a payer and the payee, and determining, for each payment medium, a benefit and a cost associated with using the payment medium for the transaction. The method further includes obtaining, for each of the payment media, a return from using the payment medium for the transaction, based on the benefit and the cost, selecting, from the payment media, a payment medium with a highest return, and providing, by the aggregate payment medium, payment medium data associated with the selected payment medium to the payee to enable execution of the transaction.

Abstract: A method and system provide estimated tax refund data to a user of a tax return preparation system throughout personalized tax return preparation interview. The method and system receive current user tax related data associated with the user, retrieve tax rules data, and gather historical tax related data associated with historical users of the tax return preparation system. The method and system further generate probabilistic inference data including inferences about tax related characteristics of the user based on the historical tax related data and the tax rules data. The method and system provide estimated tax refund data to the user based on the probabilistic inference data.

Abstract: Computing systems, computer-implemented methods, articles of manufacture for making personalized assessments regarding whether a taxpayer should be presented with a standardized flow of interview screens, questions or topics, or with an itemized deduction flow of interview screens, questions or topics. This assessment is made utilizing a generated user interface and analytic data elements that generate outputs that reflect the taxpayer's data, e.g., in the form of ranges of numerical data that are based on the taxpayer's data. User interface elements representing response options in the form of range data may be selected by the user without entering specific electronic tax return data for the purpose of making standardized v. itemized determinations and to determine which questions or topics can be bypassed.

Abstract: A network-based synchronization system includes a server executing an electronic tax preparation program. The server is in communication with first and second computing devices through first and second networks. The first computing device utilizes the electronic tax preparation program. The second computing device is a mobile communication device including an image acquisition component and a mobile application executing thereon. The server, and the first and second computing devices are cooperatively operable through the first and second networks to synchronize the electronic tax preparation program and the mobile application based at least in part upon data acquired by the image acquisition component. The server receives the data acquired by the image acquisition component and transmits the data to the first computing device to synchronize the mobile application and the electronic tax preparation program.

Abstract: A network-based synchronization system includes a server executing an electronic tax preparation program. The server is in communication with first and second computing devices through first and second networks. The first computing device utilizes the electronic tax preparation program. The second computing device is a mobile communication device including an image acquisition component and a mobile application executing thereon. The server, and the first and second computing devices are cooperatively operable through the first and second networks to synchronize the electronic tax preparation program and the mobile application based at least in part upon data acquired by the image acquisition component. The server receives the data acquired by the image acquisition component and transmits the data to the first computing device to synchronize the mobile application and the electronic tax preparation program.

Abstract: A method and system provides personalized user experiences to users of a tax return preparation system, at least partially based on likelihoods of occurrence of life events for the users in a tax year, according to one embodiment. The method and system applies the user data to one or more predictive models to determine the likelihood that one or more available life events occurred in a user's life in a tax year, according to one embodiment. The method and system display life event icons that represent the one or more available life events, and the life event icons are ranked, sorted, and/or emphasized, based on the likelihood that the one or more available life events occurred in a user's life, to increase a user's confidence in the tax return preparations system's capability to address the user's life changes while preparing the user's tax return, according to one embodiment.

Abstract: A method and system provides augmented OCR data to a user of a financial system. The method and system include receiving image data related to an image of a financial document of the user and generating OCR data based on the image data. The method and system further include receiving financial data related to the financial document, analyzing the financial document, and generating the augmented OCR data based on the OCR data and the financial data.

Abstract: A network-based synchronization system includes a server executing an electronic tax preparation program. The server is in communication with first and second computing devices through first and second networks. The first computing device utilizes the electronic tax preparation program. The second computing device is a mobile communication device including an image acquisition component and a mobile application executing thereon. The server, and the first and second computing devices are cooperatively operable through the first and second networks to synchronize the electronic tax preparation program and the mobile application based at least in part upon data acquired by the image acquisition component. The server receives the data acquired by the image acquisition component and transmits the data to the first computing device to synchronize the mobile application and the electronic tax preparation program.

Abstract: A method and system personalizes and facilitates an electronic tax return preparation interview in a tax return preparation system, using a multi-sectional view of interview content, according to one embodiment. The method and system displays first user income information at least partially based on user data, and displays characteristics for the first user income information in a first section of a user interface to indicate to the user which of the first user income information has been identified by an electronic tax return preparation system, according to one embodiment. The method and system, in a second section of the user interface, acquires second user income information from the user, and updates the first section of the user interface with the second user income information acquired from the user within the second section of the user interface.

Abstract: A method to estimate a tax refund range. The method includes receiving, by a computer processor and from a user, a reduced portion of tax preparation input data prior to receiving a remainder portion of the tax preparation input data, calculating, by the computer processor and prior to receiving the remainder portion, a tax refund range estimate based on the reduced portion, presenting the tax refund range estimate to the user, and receiving, in response to presenting the tax refund range estimate to the user, the remainder portion for later use when preparing a tax filing for the user.

Abstract: Embodiments of a computer system, a method and a computer-program product (e.g., software) for use with the computer system are described. These embodiments allow a user to provide an image of a document for use with software, such as an image of a financial document for use with financial software. In particular, the user can provide the image of the document, for example, by taking a picture of the document using a cellular telephone. This image may be converted into an electronic format that is suitable for text and numerical processing using a character-recognition technique, such as optical character recognition or intelligent character recognition. Errors in the electronic version of the document, if present, may be identified and corrected by comparing the electronic version to information maintained by a third party. This information may be accessed based at least on one or more items in the electronic version of the document.

Abstract: A method for operating a tax inference engine involves receiving tax data items, assigning confidence ratings to the tax data items using inference rules, and assigning relevance ratings to tax questions using the inference rules. The method further involves determining tax questions having ratings that exceed a threshold amount, and ordering the tax questions by the relevance ratings, personalizing a tax question using the inference rules, tax data items, and confidence ratings by altering a wording of the tax question, and determining tax advice using the inference rules, the tax data items, and the confidence ratings.

Abstract: A method involves generating a partially completed tax return based on basic user information without needing to obtain other user inputs through an extensive user interview. A list of simple and concise interview questions are generated or selected from an interview question collection based on the partially completed tax return to finalize the tax return. The method further involves using an inference engine to allow data collection at any time and in any order via specific, personalized questions geared toward completion of the tax return. Therefore the taxpayer spends time reviewing rather than preparing his or her tax documents.

Abstract: A method involves generating a partially completed tax return based on basic user information without needing to obtain other user inputs through an extensive user interview. A list of simple and concise interview questions are generated or selected from an interview question collection based on the partially completed tax return to finalize the tax return. The method further involves using an inference engine to allow data collection at any time and in any order via specific, personalized questions geared toward completion of the tax return. Therefore the taxpayer spends time reviewing rather than preparing his or her tax documents.