Abstract: Automated tax return preparation is provided using a relationship-based interview process coupled with universal data import. Information is collected through a process called the interview, during which a taxpayer is asked various questions about her background and relationships with financial institutions. The taxpayer provides to the tax planning software a list of financial institutions with which the taxpayer has a relationship, and the tax software retrieves tax data directly from the financial institutions. The combination of the interview, universal data import, and existing stored data enables an automated tax return system to prepare tax returns in advance with minimal user assistance.

Abstract: Automated tax return preparation is provided using a relationship-based interview process coupled with universal data import. Information is collected through a process called the interview, during which a taxpayer is asked various questions about her background and relationships with financial institutions. The taxpayer provides to the tax planning software a list of financial institutions with which the taxpayer has a relationship, and the tax software retrieves tax data directly from the financial institutions. The combination of the interview, universal data import, and existing stored data enables an automated tax return system to prepare tax returns in advance with minimal user assistance.

Abstract: An automated system provides the specific tax consequences of financial transactions of user, based on the user's particular tax profile. The system allows the user to immediately and easily determine the tax consequences of a transaction prior to execution of the transaction. The user may also determine the tax consequences of prior transactions, groups of transactions, and may between different sets of transactions.