Intuit, Inc.

Ronald Jason Char

Justin C Marr

Gang Wang

Bennett R Blank

Jonathan A Lieberman

Susan A Harman

Abraham Zafar

Ojas R Sitapara

Kevin M McCluskey

Kenichi Mori

Ryan Michael Steckler

Sasha Mikhael Perez

Luis Felipe Cabrera

David Duayne Taylor

Michael J Graves

Alex G Balazs

Arien C Ferrell

John Brian Moss

Robert H Warrington

Saied Moezzi

Brian M Weaver

David S Chon

Cheng-Cheng Lok

A modular, computerized tax return preparation application engine including modular tax logic engine and interface controller components loosely coupled to each other and a modular completion monitor. Modular tax logic engine receives runtime data of the tax return and generates a first non-binding suggestion involving a tax topic that is incomplete based on first runtime data and a decision table. Modular interface controller generates a first interface including a first interview screen including content based on the first non-binding suggestion. For iterations or changes of runtime data, completion monitor determines when a previously complete tax topic is now incomplete and notifies modular interface controller regarding the completion status modification. In response modular interface controller generates a second interface comprising an encoded link to an interview screen or screens to address previously complete but currently incomplete tax topics.

Computerized tax return preparation system and computer generated user interfaces for tax topic completion status modifications

Systems, methods and articles of manufacture for preparing a tax return in which tax questions may be generated and presented to a user in an ad hoc manner. A tax system includes a computing device executing a tax program. The tax program can display a plurality of user interface presentations, such as interview or question screens, with tax questions asking the user to provide tax data related to a taxpayer for preparing a tax return for the taxpayer. The tax program allows the user to skip a tax question on a user interface presentation, and proceed with subsequent user interface presentations. When the tax program determines that a response to the skipped tax questions is required, the tax program dynamically generates a skipped tax question user interface presentation with the skipped tax question and presents it to the user.

Computer-implemented systems and methods for preparing a tax return in which tax data is requested and entered ad hoc

A hybrid response mechanism for processing queries submitted through an interview screen of a tax preparation application. User submits query through search field of interview screen generated by tax preparation application. Response engine accesses runtime data of electronic tax return stored in data store and generates hybrid response including runtime data and an action. Hybrid response data may be alpha/numerical runtime data or data identifying runtime data and identifying or including a link to an action, e.g., a form to be completed or revised, or to prepare a new form. The hybrid search result can also include a result (such as reference materials, e.g., information about tax topics or an answer provided by an on-line community member) generated by an external computing resource such as an online community for the tax preparation application also processing the query but that is not included in the electronic tax return being prepared.

Generation of personalized and hybrid responses to queries submitted from within tax return preparation system during preparation of electronic tax return

Transaction or receipt data, e.g., data of a receipt document, is encoded as a two-dimensional machine readable representation, such as a QR CODE. Certain receipt data is encoded as segments of a QR CODE. An image of the QR CODE is acquired using a camera of a mobile communication device or computer or other image capture device. The QR CODE image is decoded to determine the receipt data, and fields of an electronic receipt summary can be populated with decoded data.

Systems methods and computer program products for encoding and decoding transaction data

Methods, systems and computer program products for paying tax owed with a refund through an intermediary when a taxpayer owes tax to one tax authority and is entitled to a refund from another tax authority. The intermediary may be an intermediate computer that electronically filed respective tax returns and may host the tax preparation application that was used to prepare the tax returns. The intermediate computer may wait to pay one tax authority until after a refund is received from a different tax authority.

Methods systems and computer program products for applying tax refund as tax payment

Visually presenting spending behavior, spending patterns, and spending activity to a consumer across of their all receipt based purchase transactions. Receipt data is received at a first or host computer from respective transaction processing devices or host systems of respective merchants, or received from self-service action of the consumer, and identifies respective goods or services purchased by the consumer. A user interface is displayed to the consumer and comprises a thumbnail arrangement of discrete objects, each of which represents respective receipts generated by respective transaction or transaction processing devices. A discrete object may comprise data of one or multiple goods or services and includes category indicators that visually inform the consumer about the type of good or service. Embodiments may also involve requesting receipt data utilizing a mobile communication device, searching receipt data collected by the computer and responding to the request with requested receipt data.

Receipt visualization and receipt data applications

Identifying missed electronic check-ins and crediting missed check-ins to members of a social network by utilizing transaction data from an intermediate computer other than a computer of the social network. Missed check-ins are identified using transaction data resulting from an activity of the member at a check-in location, e.g., when the member purchased an item from a merchant at a check-in location or made a call from the location. Transaction data is sent from a computer that stores the data to the social network computer that manages check-ins. Transaction location is compared with check-in locations to determine whether the member should receive credit for the missed check-in, which may count towards rewards or benefits of the social network even though the member is not currently at the check-in location since the missed check-in is validated by a trusted source of transaction data.

Systems and methods for crediting missed location-based electronic check-ins in a social network

Some embodiments of the present invention provide a system that performs card-based transactions. During operation, the system displays a set of magnetic-stripe cards to a user through a user interface of a portable device and obtains a user selection of a magnetic-stripe card from the set of magnetic stripe cards. Next, the system writes magnetic-stripe data associated with the magnetic-stripe card to a rewritable magnetic stripe on the portable device. Finally, the system uses the rewritable magnetic stripe in the card-based transaction in place of the magnetic-stripe card.

Method and system for performing card-based transactions using a portable device

Tax data, e.g., Form W2 data, is encoded as a two-dimensional machine readable representation, such as a QR CODE. Certain tax data is encoded as segments of a QR CODE, and a tax form generated by an employer or payroll processing service and provided to an employee or user includes the QR CODE representing certain W-2 or other tax data. An image of the QR CODE is acquired using a camera of a mobile communication device or computer or other image capture device. When using a Smartphone, a tax preparation application executing on the Smartphone decodes the QR CODE image to determine the tax data, and populates fields of an electronic tax return with decoded data, thus allowing a consumer to prepare an electronic tax return using a mobile communication device.

Various embodiments of a system and method for finance-based competition are described. The system and method for finance-based competition may provide a game engine configured to enable a user to engage in a finance-based competition with one or more other users. The winner of the competition may be determined by one of various standards related to various financial attributes. In various embodiments, the game engine may be configured to enable a user to compete against one or more user-defined goals. A user may set various goals that he would like to complete during a given time period, such as saving a certain amount of wealth, funding a child's education fund, purchasing a second home, minimizing taxes owed to a taxing authority, and other finance-related goals. In various embodiments, the game engine may be configured to generate one or more finance-related predictions using a rules engine.

Growing community of inventors

San Diego, CA, United States of America

Ronald Jason Char