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: 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: Certain aspects of the present disclosure provide methods and systems for determining that a user has been presented an element in a user interface. In certain embodiments, a certain dataset of past user-inputs may be de-duplicated. The de-duplicated dataset may then be reduced to a set of data structures by identifying all the data fields of the dataset that correspond to questions that were presented to certain users but were not required to be answered.

Abstract: Computerized systems and methods for generating personalized responses to queries originating from within a networked computing system or user facing application, e.g., in response to a help inquiry. An intermediate computer generates a first interface presented to user through a display of a computing device executing a browser to access application. Query is entered into a field of first interface and processed by a classifier that outputs a structure identifier. Intermediate computer configures a remote computer by transmitting structure identifier, electronic data related to an electronic document and an executable file to remote computer, which executes file to process electronic data relative to a data structure hosted by remote computer and associated with structure identifier to select a template identifier.

Abstract: A computer-implemented method for generating an explanation for changes in tax liability over different tax reporting periods includes a computing device executing a tax calculation engine associated with tax preparation software. The tax calculation engine operates on first and second tax calculation graphs representing different tax reporting periods. The first and second tax calculation graphs are different in at least one respect. The first and second tax calculation graphs each describe data dependent tax operations comprising a plurality of interconnecting functional nodes connected by one of a plurality of functions. The computing device automatically identifies the differences among nodes within the respective first and second tax calculation graphs and executes an explanation engine associated with the tax preparation software to generate a textual explanation identifying one or more differences among the nodes.

Abstract: Systems, methods and articles of manufacture for determining impact correlations from a calculation graph for calculating taxes. 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 an impact chain engine. The tax calculation engine is configured to perform a plurality of tax calculation operations based on the tax calculation graph. The impact chain engine is configured to analyze the tax calculation graph and determine an impact correlation between a change in a value of a first node caused by a change in a value of a second node utilizing an impact chain which includes both the first node and the second node.

Abstract: A method and system generate sample data set for efficiently and accurately testing a new calculation for preparing a portion of an electronic document for users of an electronic document preparation system. The method and system receive the new calculation and gather historical use data related to previously prepared electronic documents for a large number of historical users. The method and system group the historical users into groups based on which sections of a previous version of electronic document preparation software were executed for each historical user in preparing electronic documents for the historical users. The groups are then sampled by selecting a small number of historical users from each group.

Abstract: A method and system generates sufficient sample data sets for efficiently and accurately testing a new calculation for preparing a portion of an electronic document for users of an electronic document preparation system. The method and system prepares the new calculation and gathers historical user data related to previously prepared electronic documents for a large number of historical users. The method and system generates a representative value for each historical user data, based on the sections of a previous version of electronic document preparation software which were executed for each historical user in preparing electronic documents for the historical users. The method and system groups the historical users based on the hash values which indicates the historical user's behavior in the software. The groups are then sampled by selecting a small number of historical users from each group.

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: 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 method and system generate sample data set for efficiently and accurately testing a new calculation for preparing a portion of an electronic document for users of an electronic document preparation system. The method and system receive the new calculation and gather historical use data related to previously prepared electronic documents for a large number of historical users. The method and system group the historical users into groups based on which sections of a previous version of electronic document preparation software were executed for each historical user in preparing electronic documents for the historical users. The groups are then sampled by selecting a small number of historical users from each group.

Abstract: A method for explaining a form that includes receiving input code, wherein the input code is associated with the form, processing the input code to create an explanation dynamically associated with the form, and outputting the explanation into a natural language.

Abstract: A method for reviewing data dependencies in a document that includes requesting an explanation of a dependent data container in a plurality of data containers, in which the dependent data container resides within a document, and receiving the explanation of the dependent data container, in which the explanation that includes information about the dependent data container and information about a precedent data container of the plurality of data containers, and in which the information describes the dependency between the precedent data container and the dependent data container.