Abstract: The methods described herein are suitable for use in explaining changes in the net federal tax between a current year and a preceding year (e.g., year-over-year changes). Thus, the methods have suitability for comparing taxes due amounts between different tax years as well as refund amounts between different tax years. The computing device presents to a user of the tax preparation software a multi-level data presentation of the reasons contributing to the differences in tax liability between a current year and a preceding year. In one aspect, the reasons may be expanded or collapsed to sure more or less detail depending on user preference.

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.

Abstract: Methods, systems and computer program products for generating and presenting an estimate of when a taxpayer can expect to receive a tax refund.

Abstract: A service provider management system (SPMS) that connects to storage resources in a datacenter controlled by a service provider and a database that stores information about the datacenter and customers that receive the storage resources as a service. The SPMS enables the service provider to allocate storage resources to a customer and to assign ownership to billable devices, such as disks, volumes, ports, and so forth, as well as to generate billing information based on hardware configuration and customer usage. The SPSM is supported on a server architecture, which includes a Web server that exports a first interface to the service provider to enable the service provider to manage the data storage resources to which the SPMS is connected, and a second interface to the customer to enable the customer to manage the allocated data storage resources directly.

Abstract: A registration application that allows a service provider customer that is using data storage resources (storage and/or storage-related services) provided by the service provider to register with a Service Provider Management System (SPMS) that is maintained by the service provider. The registration application executes on each of the customer's servers (that is, those which are connected to resources being used) to produce registration information and provides that registration information to the SPMS. The resources have a scratch pad storage area that is used by the servers and the SPMS to communicate with each other. The registration information is passed to the SPMS by the servers indirectly via the scratch pad area. The SPMS uses the registration information to associate customer information with the resources used by that customer's servers. The association of the customer information and resources can then be used by the SPMS to track customer usage of the resources for billing and other applications.

Abstract: A service provider management system (SPMS) that connects to storage resources in a datacenter controlled by a service provider and a database that stores information about the datacenter and customers that receive the storage resources as a service. The SPMS enables the service provider to allocate storage resources to a customer and to assign ownership to billable devices, such as disks, volumes, ports, and so forth, as well as to generate billing information based on hardware configuration and customer usage. The SPSM is supported on a server architecture, which includes a Web server that exports a first interface to the service provider to enable the service provider to manage the data storage resources to which the SPMS is connected, and a second interface to the customer to enable the customer to manage the allocated data storage resources directly.

Abstract: A registration application that allows a service provider customer that is using data storage resources (storage and/or storage-related services) provided by the service provider to register with a Service Provider Management System (SPMS) that is maintained by the service provider. The registration application executes on each of the customer's servers (that is, those which are connected to resources being used) to produce registration information and provides that registration information to the SPMS. The resources have a scratch pad storage area that is used by the servers and the SPMS to communicate with each other. The registration information is passed to the SPMS by the servers indirectly via the scatch pad area. The SPMS uses the registration information to associate customer information with the resources used by that customer's servers. The association of the customer information and resources can then be used by the SPMS to track customer usage of the resources for billing and other applications.