Abstract: Methods, systems and computer program products for generating decision and meta rules used for determining which questions to present to a tax preparation application user and determine whether a tax situation or topic is applicable to the user. Decision and meta rule sets are generated for tax topics such that as inputs or answers to questions are received and no generated decision rule can be executed, at least one generated meta rule is execute to invalidate one or more generated decision rules. A next question is selected for presentation to the user based at least in part upon a meta rule involving at least one rule of the subset of potentially executable decision rules. Decision rules, and corresponding questions, are invalidated in response to input and when no decision rule can be executed to reduce user questioning while still making a determination whether a tax situation or topic applies.