Systems, methods and articles for generating sub-graphs of a tax calculation graph of a tax preparation system

A system for preparing a tax return in which a granularity of tax questions presented to a user may be adjusted, comprising:

• a computing device having a computer processor, display and memory, and a non-transitory, computer-readable storage device having a software application stored thereon, the software application executable by the computer processor and comprising a tax calculation graph, a modular tax calculation engine, a plurality of decision tables, a sub-graph engine, a granularity control engine, a modular tax logic agent, a modular user interface manager, the modular tax logic agent when executed by the computer processor is detached from the user interface manager when executed by the computer processor;
• a data store in communication with the computing device, the data store configured to store user-specific tax data therein;
• the modular tax calculation engine when executed by the computer processor using the tax calculation graph to perform a plurality of tax calculation operations using the user-specific tax data read from the data store to calculate the tax return, the tax calculation graph comprising a plurality of interconnected nodes including one or more of input nodes, functional nodes, and function node, each input node being populated with user-specific tax data, each function node defining a tax calculation utilizing the populated input nodes, and each functional node being a result of a calculation performed by an interconnected function node when executed by the computer processor;
• the modular tax calculation engine when executed by the computer processor performs a plurality of tax calculation operations based on the tax calculation graph using the user-specific tax data read from the data store to calculate the tax return;
• the sub-graph engine when executed by the computer processor generates a sub-graph of the tax calculation graph based upon a target node and one or more user enterable nodes selected from the nodes of the tax calculation graph, the sub-graph engine when executed by the computer processor:
• determines all of the nodes along each calculation path of the tax calculation graph leading from each user enterable node to the target node wherein such nodes are referred to as first sub-graph nodes;
• determines any calculation paths leading from an input node to the target node which do not include a user enterable node, such calculation paths referred to as open paths;
• when one or more open paths are determined, prompts the user to select one or more nodes on one or more of the open paths as an additional user enterable node and determines all of the nodes along each calculation path leading from each additional user enterable node to the target node, such nodes referred to as second sub-graph nodes;
• determines any remaining open paths leading from an input node to the target node which do not include a user enterable node or an additional user enterable node, for any remaining open paths, determines all nodes along such remaining open paths, such nodes referred to as third sub-graph nodes;
• and
• generates a sub-graph consisting essentially of the first sub-graph nodes, the second sub-graph nodes and the third sub-graph nodes;
• the plurality of decision tables collectively representing a completion graph for completing all required data fields for computing the tax return, each decision table representing a plurality of columns, each column corresponding to a tax question and a plurality of rows, each row corresponding to a completion path for a tax rule, thereby forming a plurality of cells with each cell corresponding to a particular row and column, each cell in a respective row having a logic operator to be executed by the computer processor, the logic operator corresponding to the tax question of the each cell's respective column such that completion of each respective row is determined by the logic operators in the respective row;
• the granularity control engine when executed by the computer processor generating modified decision tables by modifying the decision tables such that cells in the decision tables directed to nodes not included in the sub-graph generated by the sub-graph engine are configured in the decision tables as not needed to complete a particular tax topic;
• the modular tax logic agent when executed by the computer processor analyzing user-specific tax data in the data store and the modified decision table to determine one or more suggested tax questions for obtaining missing tax data required for the tax calculation engine to complete a tax calculation of the sub-graph, the modular tax logic agent eliminating, based on the user-specific tax data, at least one row and its respective completion path to reduce possible suggested tax questions;
• and
• the user interface manager when executed by the computer processor receiving the suggested tax questions from the modular tax logic agent and outputting on the display one or more questions based on the one or more suggestions via a user interface.

A system for preparing a tax return in which a granularity of tax questions presented to a user may be adjusted, comprising:

• a computing device having a computer processor, display and memory, and a non-transitory, computer-readable storage device having a software application stored thereon, the software application executable by the computer processor and comprising a tax calculation graph, a modular tax calculation engine, a plurality of decision tables, a sub-graph engine, a granularity control engine, a modular tax logic agent, a modular user interface manager, the modular tax logic agent when executed by the computer processor is detached from the modular user interface manager when executed by the computer processor;
• a data store in communication with the computing device, the data store configured to store user-specific tax data therein;
• the modular tax calculation engine when executed by the computer processor using the tax calculation graph to perform a plurality of tax calculation operations using the user-specific tax data read from the data store to calculate the tax return, the tax calculation graph comprising a plurality of interconnected nodes including one or more of input nodes, functional nodes, and function nodes, each input node being populated with user-specific tax data, each function node defining a tax calculation utilizing the populated input nodes, and each functional node being a result of a calculation performed by an interconnected function node when executed by the computer processor;
• the sub-graph engine when executed by the computer processor generating a sub-graph based upon a target node and one or more user enterable nodes, the sub-graph engine when executed by the computer processor generating:
• determines a construct sub-graph comprising all nodes of the tax calculation graph having a calculation path leading to the target node;
• for each user enterable node, determines all of the nodes along each calculation path of the construct sub-graph leading from each user enterable node to the target node wherein such nodes are referred to as first sub-graph nodes;
• determines any calculation paths leading from an input node of the construct sub-graph to the target node which do not include a user enterable node, such calculation paths referred to as open paths;
• when one or more open paths are determined, receives a selection of a node on one or more of the open paths to be configured as an additional user enterable node, and determines all nodes along each calculation path leading from each additional user enterable node to the target node, such nodes referred to as second sub-graph nodes;
• generates a final sub-graph consisting essentially of the first sub-graph nodes and second sub-graph nodes;
• the plurality of decision tables collectively representing a completion graph for completing all required data fields for computing the tax return, each decision table representing a plurality of columns, each column corresponding to a tax question and a plurality of rows, each row corresponding to a completion path for a tax rule, thereby forming a plurality of cells with each cell corresponding to a particular row and column, each cell in a respective row having a logic operator to be executed by the computer processor, the logic operator corresponding to the tax question of the each cell's respective column such that completion of each respective row is determined by the logic operators in the respective row;
• the sub-graph engine when executed by the computer processor generating a sub-graph of the tax calculation graph based upon a target node and one or more user enterable nodes selected by the user from the nodes of the tax calculation graph, the sub-graph graph excluding:
• (a) all nodes of the tax calculation graph upon which only have a calculation path leading to only one or more user enterable nodes;
• and (b) all nodes which do not have a calculation path leading to the selected target node;
• the granularity control engine when executed by the computer processor generating modified decision tables by modifying the decision tables such that cells in the decision tables directed to nodes excluded in the sub-graph by the sub-graph engine are configured in the decision tables as not needed to complete a particular tax topic;
• the modular tax logic agent when executed by the computer processor analyzing user-specific tax data in the data store and the modified decision table to determine one or more suggested tax questions for obtaining missing tax data required for the tax calculation engine to complete a tax calculation of the sub-graph, the modular tax logic agent eliminating, based on the user-specific tax data, at least one row and its respective completion path to reduce possible suggested tax questions;
• and
• the user interface manager when executed by the computer processor receiving the suggested tax questions from the modular tax logic agent and outputting on the display one or more questions based on the one or more suggestions via a user interface.

A computer implemented method for preparing a tax return in which a granularity of tax questions presented to a user is adjusted utilizing tax calculation graph, the tax calculation graph comprising a plurality of interconnected nodes including one or more of input nodes, functional nodes, and function nodes, each input node being populated with user-specific tax data, each function node defining a tax calculation utilizing the populated input nodes, and each functional node being a result of a calculation performed by an interconnected function node when executed by the computer, the method comprising:

• determining a sub-graph of the tax calculation graph based upon a target node and one or more user enterable nodes selected by the user from the nodes of the tax calculation graph;
• determining a construct sub-graph comprising all nodes of the tax calculation graph having a calculation path leading to a target node;
• for each user enterable node, determining all of the nodes along each calculation path of the construct sub-graph leading from each user enterable node to the target node wherein such nodes are referred to as first sub-graph nodes;
• determining one or more calculation paths leading from an input node of the construct sub-graph to the target node which do not include a user enterable node, such calculation paths referred to as open paths;
• upon determining one or more open paths, receiving a selection of a node on one or more of the open paths to be configured as an additional user enterable node, and determining all nodes along each calculation path leading from each additional user enterable node to the target node, such nodes referred to as second sub-graph nodes;
• generating a final sub-graph consisting essentially of the first sub-graph nodes and second sub-graph nodes;
• modifying a plurality of decision tables, the decision tables collectively representing a completion graph for completing all required data fields for computing the tax return, each decision table representing a plurality of columns, each column corresponding to a tax question and a plurality of rows, each row column corresponding to a completion path for a tax rule, thereby forming a plurality of cells with each cell corresponding to a particular row and column, each cell in a respective row having a logic operator to be executed by the computer, the logic operator corresponding to the tax question of the each cell's respective column such that completion of each respective row is determined by the logic operator in the respective row, by modifying the decision tables such that cells in the decision tables directed to nodes not included in the sub-graph are configured in the decision tables as not needed to complete a particular tax topic;
• analyzing user-specific tax data in a data store and the modified decision table and determining one or more suggested tax questions for obtaining missing tax data required to complete a tax calculation of the sub-graph;
• eliminating based on the user-specific tax data at least one row and its respective completion path to reduce possible suggested tax questions;
• and
• outputting one or more questions based on the one or more suggestions via a user interface.