Abstract: Methods, systems and articles of manufacture for efficiently calculating an electronic tax return, such as within a tax return preparation system. A computerized tax return preparation system accesses taxpayer-specific tax data from a shared data store. The system executes a tax calculation engine configured to perform a plurality of tax calculations based on a tax calculation graph and the taxpayer-specific tax data from the shared data store. The system is configured to perform only the calculations in the tax calculation graph which are changed by new taxpayer-specific tax data received since the preceding tax calculation executed by the tax calculation engine. The system may also determine whether the new taxpayer-specific tax data does, or does not change the calculated tax return and the reason why.

Abstract: Certain aspects of the present disclosure provide techniques for establishing a web session between a computing device and a web-based integrated development environment to create and/or update files (e.g., content files and/or resource files). In the web session, content file(s) can be evaluated in real-time with one or more resource files. Further, in the web session, a set of validation rules of a resource file can be updated by the computing device. To stablish the web session, a first communication connection is established between the computing device and the web-based integrated development environment. With the first communication established, a second communication connection is established for real-time, bi-directional communication between the computing device and a language server instance of the web-based integrated development environment.

Abstract: Certain aspects of the present disclosure provide techniques for generating a user experience for a software program product based on a knowledge engine. Techniques for generating the user experience include a UI builder tool providing a set of tabular UI views and receiving in each tabular UI view corresponding input data for generating a calculation graph, a completeness graph, and a client UI view. Based on the input data, the UI builder tool and knowledge engine can generate a set of artifact files. The knowledge engine can generate and/or execute the calculation and completeness graphs as defined in the corresponding artifact files. The UI builder tool can generate an instance of the client UI view. With the generated calculation graph(s), completeness graph(s), and an instance of the client UI view, the user experience can be provided to a computing device.

Abstract: Systems, methods and articles of manufacture for performing a comparison of tax results based on different sets of tax data, and generating an explanation as to why the tax results differ or do not differ due to the differences in the tax data. The system includes a computing device, a data store in communication with the computing device and a tax preparation software application executable by the computing device. The tax preparation software application has a tax calculation engine, a tax calculation graph, and a change analysis engine. The tax calculation engine is configured to perform a plurality of tax calculation operations based on the tax calculation graph. The change analysis engine is configured to determine whether tax results based on different tax data differ or do not differ. The system may also generate explanation(s) of the reasons that the tax results differ or do not differ due to the different tax data.

Abstract: Certain aspects of the present disclosure provide techniques for establishing a web session between a computing device and a web-based integrated development environment to create and/or update files (e.g., content files and/or resource files). In the web session, content file(s) can be evaluated in real-time with one or more resource files. Further, in the web session, a set of validation rules of a resource file can be updated by the computing device. To stablish the web session, a first communication connection is established between the computing device and the web-based integrated development environment. With the first communication established, a second communication connection is established for real-time, bi-directional communication between the computing device and a language server instance of the web-based integrated development environment.

Abstract: Certain aspects of the present disclosure provide techniques for establishing a web session between a computing device and a web-based integrated development environment to create and/or update files (e.g., content files and/or resource files). In the web session, content file(s) can be evaluated in real-time with one or more resource files. Further, in the web session, a set of validation rules of a resource file can be updated by the computing device. To stablish the web session, a first communication connection is established between the computing device and the web-based integrated development environment. With the first communication established, a second communication connection is established for real-time, bi-directional communication between the computing device and a language server instance of the web-based integrated development environment.

Abstract: A computer-implemented method of calculating tax liability using automatically generated estimates uses a computing device connecting to a shared data store configured to store user-specific tax data therein. The computing device executes an estimation module configured to estimate user-specific tax data and write the estimated user-specific tax data to the shared data store. A tax calculation engine configured to read user-specific tax data from the shared data store and write calculated tax data to the shared data store is executed, wherein at least some of the read data comprises estimated user-specific tax data.

Abstract: A computer-implemented method for generating explanations for a tax calculation or operation performed by tax preparation software is disclosed. A computing device executes a tax calculation engine in connection with the tax preparation software and operates on a tax calculation graph to perform a tax calculation. The tax calculation graph semantically describes data dependent tax operations comprising functional nodes connected to input nodes by one of a plurality of functions, wherein each tax operation is associated with one or more explanations. An explanation engine is executed to generate a narrative explanation from the one or more explanations associated with one of the tax operations and is presented to the user on the computing device.

Abstract: A computer-implemented method for the targeted gathering of tax data for use with tax preparation software includes a computing device presenting to the user a plurality of interview questions or statements. The computing device creates a user profile based on the responses to the interview questions or statements. The computing device identifies highly relevant tax topics based on user profile and executes a user interface manager to automatically generate interview questions or statements on said highly relevant tax topics. The user then confirms whether other tax topics apply to the user. The computing device executes a tax calculation engine of the tax preparation software configured to compute a tax liability or refund amount.

Abstract: Certain aspects of the present disclosure provide techniques for generating a user experience for a software program product based on a knowledge engine. Techniques for generating the user experience include a UI builder tool providing a set of tabular UI views and receiving in each tabular UI view corresponding input data for generating a calculation graph, a completeness graph, a client UI view, and a constants table. Based on the input data, the UI builder tool and knowledge engine can generate a set of artifact files. The knowledge engine can generate and/or execute the calculation graph(s), completeness graph(s), and constants table(s) as defined in the corresponding artifact files. The UI builder tool can generate an instance of the client UI view. With the generated calculation graph(s), completeness graph(s), constants table(s), and an instance of the client UI view, the user experience can be provided to a computing device.

Abstract: Certain aspects of the present disclosure provide techniques for establishing a web session between a computing device and a web-based integrated development environment to create and/or update files (e.g., content files and/or resource files). In the web session, content file(s) can be evaluated in real-time with one or more resource files. Further, in the web session, a set of validation rules of a resource file can be updated by the computing device. To stablish the web session, a first communication connection is established between the computing device and the web-based integrated development environment. With the first communication established, a second communication connection is established for real-time, bi-directional communication between the computing device and a language server instance of the web-based integrated development environment.

Abstract: Certain aspects of the present disclosure provide techniques for generating a user experience for a software program product based on a knowledge engine. Techniques for generating the user experience include a UI builder tool providing a set of tabular UI views and receiving in each tabular UI view corresponding input data for generating a calculation graph, a completeness graph, and a client UI view. Based on the input data, the UI builder tool and knowledge engine can generate a set of artifact files. The knowledge engine can generate and/or execute the calculation and completeness graphs as defined in the corresponding artifact files. The UI builder tool can generate an instance of the client UI view. With the generated calculation graph(s), completeness graph(s), and an instance of the client UI view, the user experience can be provided to a computing device.

Abstract: Certain aspects of the present disclosure provide techniques for generating a user experience for a software program product based on a knowledge engine. Techniques for generating the user experience include a UI builder tool providing a set of tabular UI views and receiving in each tabular UI view corresponding input data for generating a calculation graph, a completeness graph, a client UI view, and a constants table. Based on the input data, the UI builder tool and knowledge engine can generate a set of artifact files. The knowledge engine can generate and/or execute the calculation graph(s), completeness graph(s), and constants table(s) as defined in the corresponding artifact files. The UI builder tool can generate an instance of the client UI view. With the generated calculation graph(s), completeness graph(s), constants table(s), and an instance of the client UI view, the user experience can be provided to a computing device.

Abstract: Computer-implemented method, tax return preparation systems and computer program products for presenting an explanation for a tax calculation or operation performed by a tax return preparation system when the system is in “forms” mode. An electronic version of a tax authority form that has been modified by inclusion of interface elements is displayed to a user. In response to the user selecting an interface element while in forms mode, presentation of an explanation regarding a tax calculation or operation for the associated field is invoked. The user interface controller provides data in response to selection of the interface element to an explanation engine, which determines an explanation based at least in part upon the tax calculation graph. The explanation is provided to the user interface controller for presentation to the user.

Abstract: Systems and methods for predicting one or more field values using machine learning in a knowledge engineering (KE) data model are disclosed. An example method may include identifying a first field in the KE data model which lacks a value and for which one or more machine learning models are defined, the first field being associated with one or more dependent field, determining that each dependent field of the first field has a corresponding value in the KE data model, executing each of the one or more machine learning models to predict one or more values for the first field, selecting one of the one or more predicted values as the representative value of the first field, identifying one or more further fields in the KE data model for which the first field is a dependent field, none of the one or more further fields defining any machine learning models, and calculating values for one or more further fields based at least in part on the representative value of the first field.

Abstract: A computer-implemented method for inferring or estimating user-related data for use with tax preparation software is disclosed. The method uses a computer that connects to the one or more remotely located data sources and executing a data capture utility, the data capture utility capturing at least some tax data pertaining to the user. The computing device executes an estimation module that receives the captured tax data pertaining to the user and generates one or more estimates and stores the one or more estimates in a data store associated with the tax preparation software, the data store configured to store user-specific tax data therein. The computing device executes a tax calculation engine of the tax preparation software configured to read the user-specific tax data contained in the data store and compute an intermediate or final tax liability or refund amount.

Abstract: Certain aspects of the present disclosure provide techniques for generating a user experience for a software program product based on a knowledge engine. Techniques for generating the user experience include a UI builder tool providing a set of tabular UI views and receiving in each tabular UI view corresponding input data for generating a calculation graph, a completeness graph, and a client UI view. Based on the input data, the UI builder tool and knowledge engine can generate a set of artifact files. The knowledge engine can generate and/or execute the calculation and completeness graphs as defined in the corresponding artifact files. The UI builder tool can generate an instance of the client UI view. With the generated calculation graph(s), completeness graph(s), and an instance of the client UI view, the user experience can be provided to a computing device.

Abstract: Systems, methods and articles of manufacture for analyzing past year tax data for a taxpayer and determining an estimated current year tax liability in order to compute estimated tax payments. The tax preparation system comprises a tax estimate engine configured to access a plurality of calculated past year tax calculation graphs. The tax estimate engine analyzes and compares the calculated past year tax calculation graphs to determine similar node(s) and/or dissimilar node(s) and also determines a similar node estimating value for the similar nodes and/or a dissimilar node estimating value for the dissimilar nodes. A tax calculation engine calculates a current year tax calculation graph using the similar node estimating values and/or dissimilar node estimating values. The calculated current year tax calculation graph includes an estimated tax liability for the current year, which the system uses to compute estimated tax payments for the taxpayer for the current tax year.

Abstract: Computer-implemented systems, methods and articles for generating an error report listing errors identified in the computerized preparation of a payroll tax form. The system includes a computing device, a data store, and a payroll tax form software application executable by the computing device. The payroll tax form software includes a payroll calculation engine, an error check engine, and one or more error graph(s). Each error graph includes a plurality of interconnected nodes configured to utilize tax data and calculated payroll data to identify errors. The calculation engine is configured to read tax data from the shared data store, perform payroll calculation operations, and write calculated payroll data to the shared data store. The error check engine is configured to read the tax data and payroll data and process the error graph(s) to identify errors and generate an error report listing the errors and/or explanations of the errors.

Abstract: A computer-implemented method for collecting tax data for an electronic tax return preparation program includes a tax logic agent reading a user data profile indexed to a user ID for a user to identify an identifier of a missing datum. The method also includes a match system identifying a data source corresponding to the identifier of the missing datum. The method further includes the match system generating a partition for the user data profile. Moreover, the method includes a dispatch system generating a target queue for the data source using the partition. The target queue includes the identifier of the missing datum. In addition, the method includes a data collector querying the data source based on the target queue to collect data corresponding to the identifier of the missing datum. The method also includes an importer generating a modified user data profile using the collected data.