WO2021138722A1 - Système et procédé permettant de mettre en place une collaboration entre des conseillers et des consommateurs et de faciliter des transactions - Google Patents

Système et procédé permettant de mettre en place une collaboration entre des conseillers et des consommateurs et de faciliter des transactions Download PDF

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Publication number
WO2021138722A1
WO2021138722A1 PCT/AU2021/050013 AU2021050013W WO2021138722A1 WO 2021138722 A1 WO2021138722 A1 WO 2021138722A1 AU 2021050013 W AU2021050013 W AU 2021050013W WO 2021138722 A1 WO2021138722 A1 WO 2021138722A1
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WO
WIPO (PCT)
Prior art keywords
consumer
consultant
consumers
communication module
consultants
Prior art date
Application number
PCT/AU2021/050013
Other languages
English (en)
Inventor
Angela GRIFFITHS
Original Assignee
Tax Core Pty Ltd
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Priority claimed from AU2020900033A external-priority patent/AU2020900033A0/en
Application filed by Tax Core Pty Ltd filed Critical Tax Core Pty Ltd
Priority to AU2021205138A priority Critical patent/AU2021205138A1/en
Publication of WO2021138722A1 publication Critical patent/WO2021138722A1/fr

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Classifications

    • G—PHYSICS
    • G06—COMPUTING; CALCULATING OR COUNTING
    • G06Q—INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY [ICT] SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES; SYSTEMS OR METHODS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • G06Q10/00—Administration; Management
    • G06Q10/06—Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
    • G06Q10/063—Operations research, analysis or management
    • G06Q10/0631—Resource planning, allocation, distributing or scheduling for enterprises or organisations
    • G06Q10/06311—Scheduling, planning or task assignment for a person or group
    • G06Q10/063112—Skill-based matching of a person or a group to a task
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G06—COMPUTING; CALCULATING OR COUNTING
    • G06F—ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING
    • G06F16/00—Information retrieval; Database structures therefor; File system structures therefor
    • G06F16/20—Information retrieval; Database structures therefor; File system structures therefor of structured data, e.g. relational data
    • G06F16/24—Querying
    • G06F16/245—Query processing
    • G06F16/2457—Query processing with adaptation to user needs
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G06—COMPUTING; CALCULATING OR COUNTING
    • G06Q—INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY [ICT] SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES; SYSTEMS OR METHODS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • G06Q10/00—Administration; Management
    • G06Q10/10—Office automation; Time management
    • G06Q10/105—Human resources
    • G06Q10/1053—Employment or hiring
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G06—COMPUTING; CALCULATING OR COUNTING
    • G06Q—INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY [ICT] SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES; SYSTEMS OR METHODS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • G06Q40/00—Finance; Insurance; Tax strategies; Processing of corporate or income taxes
    • G06Q40/10—Tax strategies
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G06—COMPUTING; CALCULATING OR COUNTING
    • G06Q—INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY [ICT] SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES; SYSTEMS OR METHODS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • G06Q40/00—Finance; Insurance; Tax strategies; Processing of corporate or income taxes
    • G06Q40/12—Accounting
    • G06Q40/123—Tax preparation or submission
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G06—COMPUTING; CALCULATING OR COUNTING
    • G06F—ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING
    • G06F16/00—Information retrieval; Database structures therefor; File system structures therefor
    • G06F16/90—Details of database functions independent of the retrieved data types
    • G06F16/903—Querying
    • G06F16/9032—Query formulation
    • G06F16/90332—Natural language query formulation or dialogue systems
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
    • H04L—TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION
    • H04L51/00—User-to-user messaging in packet-switching networks, transmitted according to store-and-forward or real-time protocols, e.g. e-mail
    • H04L51/04—Real-time or near real-time messaging, e.g. instant messaging [IM]
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
    • H04L—TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION
    • H04L51/00—User-to-user messaging in packet-switching networks, transmitted according to store-and-forward or real-time protocols, e.g. e-mail
    • H04L51/07—User-to-user messaging in packet-switching networks, transmitted according to store-and-forward or real-time protocols, e.g. e-mail characterised by the inclusion of specific contents
    • H04L51/08—Annexed information, e.g. attachments

Definitions

  • the present invention relates generally to the on-line engagement between consultants and consumers requiring the services of a consultant. More particularly, the present invention provides a system and method enabling consumers to engage consultants according to the skills and experience of the consultant as compared with the requirements of the consumer and to subsequently facilitate transactions therebetween.
  • the present invention is particularly useful in relation to consumers seeking the services of a consultant to assist the consumer with the preparation and submission of documents to a statutory or regulatory authority.
  • a consumer seeking a professional service provider may conduct a search for a provider with the skills and expertise required and will generally locate that service provider by conducting a search of web pages to identify their preferred choice of provider. Subsequently, the consumer will generally communicate with the service provider through their electronic mail address and/or telephone calls to engage the service provider and obtain the services required.
  • the present invention provides an on-line system for consumers to engage consultants, the system including: one or more databases containing previously received details of consultants available for consumers to engage; a consultant matching module operable to receive details regarding a consumer’s requirements and conduct a matching process with respect to the one or more databases to determine the most appropriate consultant, or consultants, for the consumers requirements; a communication module operable to: transmit identification details to a consumer regarding the consultant, or consultants, located by the matching module, the identification details including a hyper-link to each consultant identified by the matching module; receive a selection from a consumer regarding the consultant they prefer to engage; establish a direct communication facility between the consumer and selected consultant, the direct communication facility operable to receive, store and transmit messages between the consumer and selected consultants; receive, store, and transmit documents shared between the consumer and consultant; and receive, store and transmit a listing of outstanding obligations and any deadline associated with each obligation; and a payment module operable to receive funds from consumers and direct selected funds to settle financial obligations of the consumer.
  • the consultant is a taxation consultant and the consumer seeks assistance regarding the preparation and submission of taxation documents to their relevant statutory and/or regulatory authority.
  • the consultant may have expertise in relation to litigation or the preparation of legal documents generally and the consumer may seek the services of such a consultant for the preparation and submission of court documents.
  • the consultant may have expertise in relation to building construction and/or renovation and the services required by a consumer may include the preparation and submission of documents to a local government authority for the purpose of obtaining relevant approval regarding a proposed building construction and/or renovation.
  • the details provided by the taxation consultant to the one or more databases includes the skills, experience and hourly rate of the taxation consultant and any other details in relation to the experience of the taxation consultant with respect to preparation and submission of taxation documents.
  • the system would record information provided by taxation consultants regarding the complexity of the taxation matters which they have previously undertaken for clients.
  • the consultant matching module may receive details regarding a consumer’s requirements with respect to their taxation matters including the existence of all entities for which taxation advice is required including the type of entity for which the consumer requires taxation advice and the operations of the entity such that a taxation consultant may consider the complexity of the taxation advice required.
  • the consultant matching module receives details regarding a consumer’s requirements and conducts a matching process with respect to the details of the taxation consultants stored in the one or more databases.
  • the consumer is provided with a listing of consultants representing the most appropriate match with their requirements, ordered from most appropriate to least appropriate in the listing presented to the consumer.
  • the matching module is operable to receive plain language text entries from a consumer regarding the characteristics of the consultant whom they would prefer to engage and with the consultant matching module applying natural language processing techniques to determine the intent of the consumer regarding the preferred characteristics and/or qualities of the consultant as an inherent part of the matching process with respect to matching a consumer with the most appropriate consultant, or consultants.
  • the details received from consultants who are available for consumers to engage may include plain language text responses to queries such that the matching module may use those plain language responses provided by consultants for matching in addition to attributes that are more easily quantifiable, such as years of experience, hourly rate, etc.
  • consultants and users register with the on-line system and record their details for billing purposes.
  • the on-line system facilitates submission of documents including taxation returns to the consumer’s local taxation office.
  • the on-line system facilitates document access in relation to previously filed documents at the statutory and/or regulatory authority such that consumers may independently verify the submission of documents and the submission date of same.
  • the system and method of the present invention provides consumers with significant confidence that statutory and/or regulatory obligations have been met by providing them with a convenient mechanism by which to access documents filed or stored at the statutory and/or regulatory authority such that they may inspect the contents of same.
  • the communication module in addition to receiving, storing and transmitting a listing of outstanding obligations and any deadline associated with each obligation, is operable to enable consultants to provide consumers with checklists identifying tasks in respect of which the consultant requires the consumer to complete and provide relevant input to the consultant to enable the consultant to provide the advice required.
  • consultants are provided with a standard checklist that may be customised and provided to individual consumers according to the requirements for that particular consumer. Further, consumers may access the customised checklist and identify when they have completed the task. As a result, the checklist forms a document by which both the consumer and the consultant may communicate regarding the status of the tasks requiring completion by the consumer and/or consultant.
  • the checklist includes deadlines by which time the consumer and/or consultant should complete a specific task and automated notifications are generated and transmitted by the communication module to the consumer and/or consultant regarding the tasks that remain outstanding for which there is an approaching, or expired, deadline.
  • both the consultant and the consumer are provided with automated notifications that apply to either the consumer and/or the consultant such that the consumer may receive notifications regarding tasks that are yet to be completed by the consultant when the task has an approaching, or expired, deadline.
  • consumers are provided with a facility to automatically feed documents to their selected consultant and in this regard, the on-line system may receive documents provided by the consumer and automatically characterise and classify the documents prior to bringing those documents to the attention of the consultant.
  • the on-line system provides a facility for documents to be submitted electronically in the form of images.
  • consumers may obtain an invoice or receipt and capture an image of that document and automatically upload that document to the on-line system for receipt and processing.
  • the on line system includes a logbook document that is automatically completed as a result of receiving data provided by the consumer’s vehicle to which a GPS (Global Positioning System) location device is fitted wherein the GPS location device is operable to provide geographic location details to a transmitting device which transmits data regarding the location of the vehicle via mobile phone communication channels to the on-line system for entry into the consumer’s vehicle logbook.
  • the details automatically uploaded from a consumer’s vehicle to the on-line system logbook may include GPS location at the commencement of a journey and completion of a journey, time and date of the journey.
  • the on-line system may conduct a comparison of the consumer’s documents submitted to the taxation office with benchmarking data provided by their local taxation office such that consumers may receive notifications and/or suggestions regarding their submissions.
  • taxation offices generally provide benchmark data such that entities submitting taxation documents may receive a notification and/or suggestion in the event their submission significantly differs from benchmark data expected by the taxation office. In some instances, this enables consumers and/or entities submitting taxation documents to identify errors in their submissions prior to the taxation document undergoing assessment by the taxation office.
  • any notification and/or suggestion issued by the local taxation office is provided to both the consultant and the consumer who has retained the consultant to provide taxation advice.
  • the on-line system enables consumers to engage multiple consultants who may coordinate for the purpose of providing the services required by a consumer. For example, a consumer may require the services of a bookkeeper and a taxation consultant and may engage both types of consultant who may work as a team with respect to providing the services required by the consumer.
  • the multiple agents engaged by the consumer receive the same information and/or notifications regarding task completion requirements according to a checklist and notifications and/or suggestions from a local statutory/regulatory authority regarding the submission of documents for and on behalf of the consumer.
  • the on-line system provides additional benefits to consultants with respect to the management of their workload.
  • the on-line system may include checklists with details regarding outstanding tasks and the deadlines applicable to same
  • the on-line system effectively contains information that may provide consultants with an indication of their likely workload requirements in the future.
  • the on-line system includes a workflow management module enabling consultants to determine their future workload according to action checklists that are recorded in the system and in respect of which the consultant is required to perform work within various deadlines.
  • the on-line system includes interfaces enabling the receipt of data from existing bookkeeping software systems such that the account data from a business may be uploaded directly to the on-line system for analysis by the consultant.
  • the on-line system preferably includes a facility enabling consumers and/or consultants to execute documents electronically such that an entire document preparation and submission process may be completed electronically and without requiring any paper documents.
  • the on-line system provides an indication for consumers regarding their financial obligations and the dates applicable to same with respect to payments required by a statutory and/or regulatory authority.
  • the on-line system provides details that are accessible by the consumer with respect to the obligations recorded by the tax office with respect to payments and the deadlines associated with same.
  • the on-line system is accessible by consumers and/or consultants by use of mobile and/or fixed computing devices such as smartphones, tablets, computer devices and/or desktop computing devices.
  • the on-line system preferably provides support for video and audio conferencing such that consumers and consultants may arrange and attend video and/or audio conferences to discuss any aspect of the advice that consumers require from a consultant.
  • the present invention provides a computer-implemented method for consumers to engage consultants on-line, the method including: transmitting, by a communications module, identification details to a consumer regarding a consultant, or consultants, located by a matching module operable to receive details regarding the consumer’s requirements and conduct a matching process with respect to one or more databases containing previously received data of consultants available for consumers to engage, the identification details including a hyper-link to each consultant identified by the matching module; receiving, by the communication module, a selection from a consumer regarding the consultant they prefer to engage; establishing, by the communication module, a direct communication facility between the consumer and selected consultant, the direct communication facility operable to receive, store and transmit messages between the consumer and selected consultants; receiving, storing, and transmitting, by the communication module, documents shared between the consumer and consultant; receiving, storing and transmitting, by the communication module, a listing of outstanding obligations and any deadline associated with each obligation; and receiving, by a payment module, funds from consumers and directing, by the payment module, selected funds to settle financial obligations
  • the present invention provides a non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions, the instructions including: one or more instructions that, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to: transmit, by a communications module, identification details to a consumer regarding a consultant, or consultants, located by a matching module operable to receive details regarding the consumer’s requirements and conduct a matching process with respect to one or more databases containing previously received data of consultants available for consumers to engage, the identification details including a hyper-link to each consultant identified by the matching module; receive, by the communication module, a selection from a consumer regarding the consultant they prefer to engage; establish, by the communication module, a direct communication facility between the consumer and selected consultant, the direct communication facility operable to receive, store and transmit messages between the consumer and selected consultants; receive, store, and transmit, by the communication module, documents shared between the consumer and consultant; receive, store and transmit, by the communication module, a listing of outstanding obligations and any deadline associated with each obligation; and receive, by a payment module, funds
  • Figure 1 illustrates an exemplary on-line system for consumers to engage consultants.
  • Figure 2 illustrates an exemplary central server that forms part of the system illustrated in segment 200 in Figure 1 .
  • Figure 3 illustrates an exemplary flow diagram depicted in segments 200 and 300 of Figure 1 that involve the central server of Figures 1 and 2 and illustrating an exemplary interaction and data exchange between the central server and the business systems associated with a statutory or regulatory authority.
  • Figure 4 illustrates an exemplary flow diagram of a process depicted in segments 400 and 200 of Figure 1 that enables a user to download and install an application, and login or register and create a new user account for interacting with the system illustrated in Figure 1 .
  • Figure 5 illustrates an exemplary flow diagram of a consumer depicted in segments 500 and 200 of Figure 1 where the consumer interacts with the system illustrated in Figure 1 .
  • Figure 6 illustrates an exemplary flow diagram of a process depicted in segments 600 and 800 of Figure 1 that enables both the consumer of Figure 5 and a consultant, or consultants, to interact using the system illustrated in Figure 1 .
  • Figure 7 illustrates an exemplary flow diagram of a process depicted in segments 700 and 200 in Figure 1 that enables the user to view and action outstanding obligations including providing information, documentation and payment to the consultant.
  • Figure 8 illustrates an exemplary flow diagram of a process depicted in segments 800 and 200 in Figure 1 that enables the consultant, or consultants, to perform actions including viewing outstanding obligations of the user, editing profile information, uploading new tasks that need to be actioned, and engaging with the user via messaging.
  • the present invention relates to a system and method of arranging engagement between consultants (210) and consumers (150) and facilitating transactions therebetween.
  • the system and method involves one or more computer processors configured to receive details (35) regarding the requirements of a consumer (150) and conducting a matching process with respect to one or more databases (40) containing previously received data regarding consultants available for consumers (150) to engage.
  • Identification of a consultant, or consultants (210) involves matching the consumer requirements with the consultant data according to matching rules such as a threshold level of similarity. Once the consultant(s) (210) are located, the identification details (230) regarding the consultant(s) (210), are transmitted to the consumer (150), and the details include a hyper-link to the consultant(s) identified.
  • the system and method further involves selection, by the consumer (150), regarding the consultant (210) they prefer to engage, and establishing a direct communication facility (240) between the consumer (150) and the selected consultant (210) operable to receive, store and transmit messages (61) between the consumer (150) and the selected consultant(s) (210).
  • the system and method further enables the receiving, storing, and transmitting of documents (63) shared between the consumer (150) and consultant (210), the receiving, storing and transmitting of a listing (252) of outstanding obligations and any deadline associated with each obligation, the receipt (258) of funds from consumers (150) and the directing of selected funds to settle financial obligations of the consumer (150).
  • FIG. 1 provides an overview of the system and method of the present invention
  • An electronic gateway enables users (150) to locate and communicate with consultants (210) (e.g. tax agents) who can subsequently assist the users to complete forms and documents that require submission to another entity, such as a statutory or regulatory authority (e.g. taxation department) in order to fulfil their obligations (e.g. tax obligations).
  • consultants (210) e.g. tax agents
  • a statutory or regulatory authority e.g. taxation department
  • Figure 1 is separated into segments which are further expanded in the subsequent Figures 2 to 8.
  • segment 200 shows a central server (20) with which an application (170) operating on a user device (160) with which data is exchanged (or interfaced) with the tax consultant (210) and/or the taxation department (130), which is expanded in Figure 2.
  • Segment 300 of Figure 1 shows the interaction and data exchange between the central server (20) and business systems (e.g. servers) (140) associated with the taxation department (130), which is expanded in Figure 3.
  • Segment 400 shows a user (150) downloading and installing the application (170) and logging into the application (190), which is expanded in Figure 4.
  • Segment 500 of Figure 1 shows the user (150) entering their taxation requirements and subsequently receiving a list (230) of tax consultants that match their requirements, which is expanded in Figure 5.
  • Segment 600 which is expanded in Figure 6, shows the user (150) and tax consultant (210) engaging in on-line messaging with one another to discuss the user’s tax affairs and preparation of statements and submissions and any additional obligations applicable to the user (150).
  • Segment 700 which is expanded in Figure 7, shows various functions available to the user (150) when accessing the application (170)
  • segment 800 which is expanded in Figure 8, shows the various functions available to the tax consultant (210) whilst operating the application (170) on their device (160).
  • Figure 2 shows in further detail segment 200 from Figure 1.
  • Figure 2 shows the server component (200) which includes the infrastructure (10) on which the solution of the present invention operates, whereby the infrastructure (10) may be local or cloud-based.
  • the central server (20) may include one or more computer applications that provide functions as described in the paragraphs that follow.
  • the central server (20) may include one or more computer applications and/or databases that provide a register (30) of user accounts (i.e., accounts associated with each registered consumer (150)). Users can register with the on-line system, as described in greater detail below, and record their requirements (35) regarding the consultant services (e.g. taxation services), and assistance they require.
  • the user (150) may enter their taxation requirements, such as the complexity of their taxation affairs and the assistance they require, which data may be used to match the user (150) with an appropriate tax consultant (210) (as also explained in greater detail below).
  • the central server (20) may further include one or more computer applications and/or databases that provide a register (40) of tax consultants (210) who have registered to use the application (170).
  • Consultants (210) e.g. tax consultants
  • this data is used to match the user with appropriate tax consultants (210).
  • the central server (20) may also include a consultant matching engine (50) that utilises appropriate algorithms that match a user (150) with appropriate tax consultants (210) based on the user’s taxation requirements (35) and the tax consultant’s details (45) including their profile, skills and experience. Rules may be utilised to provide matching thresholds, e.g. rules which define a minimum threshold that needs to be satisfied in order to confirm a match between the user’s requirements (35) and the tax consultant’s details (45).
  • a consultant matching engine 50
  • Rules may be utilised to provide matching thresholds, e.g. rules which define a minimum threshold that needs to be satisfied in order to confirm a match between the user’s requirements (35) and the tax consultant’s details (45).
  • the central server (20) may further include one or more computer applications and/or databases that enable the recording of an engagement (60) between a user (150) and a taxation consultant (210) who will assist the user in meeting the obligations owe have to the taxation department, which recordal may occur after a user (150) has selected a taxation consultant (210) from a listing, as described in greater detail below.
  • the central server (20) may further provide one or more of the following functions:
  • an authority e.g., taxation office
  • authority information e.g. taxation department information including details and information provided by the taxation department (130) to assist the user (150) in meeting their obligations. This may include upcoming and/or overdue obligations, correspondence and taxation client account balances (e.g., current debts and/or refunds); and
  • a tax department interface 70
  • the interface (70) provides functionality to securely exchange information between the central server (20) and the taxation department (130), including but not limited to the following:
  • correspondence interface (72) enabling the exchange of information in the form of correspondence such as letters and notices from the taxation department (130) to users (150);
  • benchmarking interface (73) to enable the exchange of benchmarking information to assist with the preparation of submissions (64) to the taxation department (130);
  • • submission interface (74) to enable the electronic submission of forms and documents prepared by the taxation consultant(s) (210) on behalf of the users (150); and • payments (75) to enable secure payments to the taxation department (130) by users (150) and/or consultants (210) to settle outstanding payments to the taxation department (130).
  • the skilled person will appreciate that consultants such as tax consultants (210) operate standardised practice management software (270) as part of performing services on behalf of clients.
  • the central server (20) may further include a practice management interface (80) to provide for the secure exchange of information (81) between the central server (20) and the consultant’s practice management software (270).
  • information and/or submissions (81) may be downloaded and uploaded between the central server (20) and the practice management software (270), and such download/upload may occur by manual and/or automatic data synchronisation.
  • Figure 2 also shows various communications to and from the server (20), including payments (90) to the consultants (210) for their services, communication (100) between the application (170) and the server (20) (e.g., communications (100) to and from a user’s device (160) or any other browser application upon which the application (170) is operating) wherein such communications may occur via the internet or similar network, communications (110) between the practice management software (270) and the central server (20) which provides for a secure data exchange, and communications (120) between the business systems (140) associated with the taxation department (130) and the central server (20), again by secure data exchange.
  • payments 90) to the consultants (210) for their services
  • communication 100
  • the application (170) and the server (20) e.g., communications (100) to and from a user’s device (160) or any other browser application upon which the application (170) is operating
  • communications may occur via the internet or similar network
  • communications (110) between the practice management software (270) and the central server (20) which provides for a secure data exchange
  • Figure 3 depicts in greater detail segment 300 of Figure 1 .
  • Figure 3 shows an example of the interaction and data exchange possible between the central server (20) and the business systems (140) of the taxation department (130).
  • the user (150) has obligations to the taxation or revenue department, such as submitting annual returns or regular statements.
  • Figure 3 shows, by way of example, how the various interfaces described above, including obligations interface (71), correspondence interface (72), benchmarking interface (73), submission interface (74), and the payments interface (75), may be used to exchange data with the taxation department (130). This may include, for example, receiving information regarding forthcoming and overdue user obligations, correspondence, notices, and data that provides benchmarking to assist with the preparation of tax returns.
  • the interface may also allow for the submission of returns and the payment of tax debts or the receipt of tax refunds.
  • the business systems (140) associated with the taxation department (130) may include computer servers, but may also include any additional computing components used and maintained by the department to conduct their business.
  • Figure 4 shows in greater detail segment 400 of Figure 1 and illustrates, by way of example, how a user (150) may download and install the application (170) from an Application store.
  • a user (150) may create an account on the application (170), and the account may capture information sufficient to enable the user (150) to be correctly identified.
  • the process of installing the application (170) is indicated by arrow (180), and interface (190) shows an example interface enabling a user to login using their login details or to register as a new user.
  • the registration process will create a new user account within the application (170) and as part of this process, users will typically need to provide credentials such as name, address and date of birth.
  • the user may also be requested to pay a fee or agree to a subscription to use the application (170).
  • consultants (210) may also access the application (170) and be required to register and login according to a similar process.
  • users may be assigned different levels of subscription, such as basic, professional, etc., with different functions available to users based upon their subscription type.
  • Figure 5 shows in greater detail segment 500 of Figure 1 and in particular, an exemplary process illustrating the user (150) entering their taxation requirements (35) and subsequently receiving a list (230) of tax consultants that match their requirements.
  • Shown in Figure 5 is an exemplary interface (220) which allows a user (150) to define their requirements (35), such as the complexity of their taxation affairs and the assistance they require. Such data may be used, including in combination with other data, to match the user (150) with appropriate tax consultants (210).
  • an example interface (230) which displays to the user a list of matched consultants (210A, 210B, 210C) that match their requirements (35).
  • This interface (230) may enable users (150) to further filter and/or sort the list, if required, to assist the user to select a suitable consultant.
  • Each consultant listing may further include a hyper-link (not shown) which, if selected, may cause a particular consultant’s contact details to be displayed and may also provide details sufficient to enable the user to contact the consultant (210) in the event the user (150) decides to engage the consultant to assist with their taxation affairs.
  • the user (150) may subsequently engage the taxation consultant (210) to assist them to meet their obligations to their taxation department (130), and the consultant may be paid by the user for their services using the application (170).
  • Figure 6 which shows segment 600 of Figure 1 in greater detail, illustrates an exemplary interface (240) in which the user (150) and tax consultant (210) can message (61) each other to discuss the user’s tax affairs and preparation of statements and submissions, including transmission of documents requiring completion by the user (150) and receipt of documents prepared by users (150) for the consultant’s (210) review.
  • Figure 6 illustrates how the same interface (240) may be viewable on a user’s (150) device (160) as well as on the consultant’s (210) device (160), where, if both are logged in at the same time the user (150) and consultant (210) may engage in a real-time chat.
  • Figure 7 shows in greater detail segment 700 of Figure 1 and, in particular, the various functions available to the user (150) using application (170).
  • the application (170) may provide a range of functions for the user (150) to interact with the consultant (210), including providing the user with the ability to review information required by the consultant (210), to provide information to the consultant (210), to review and approve submissions to the taxation department (130), and to make payments to the consultant (210) or directly to the taxation department (130).
  • Figure 7 shows an example interface (250) which displays a collection of functions available to the user (150) for selection, which may include the abovementioned functions.
  • the list of functions may be limited by the user’s subscription type (e.g., basic, professional, etc.), by the type of engagement (60) entered into with the tax consultant (210), or for other reasons.
  • the interface (252) in Figure 7 is an example interface presented to the user (150) based upon selection of a particular function using interface (250) that causes the application (170) to list tasks (62) that need to be actioned and/or completed by either the user (150) or the consultant (210).
  • An example of a task that needs to be actioned/completed by the user is a request for the user (150) to provide information (63) required by the consultant (210).
  • Such obligations yet to be fulfilled may be accompanied by deadlines, and the deadlines may be based upon the requirements of the particular consultant, e.g. based on workload of the consultant (210), or the particular authority, e.g., tax return deadline imposed by the taxation office.
  • the consultant (210) may require additional information including documents to be uploaded (63), and interface (254) of Figure 7 is an exemplary interface that enables the user (150) to provide such documents and information (63) to the tax consultant (210).
  • interface (254) of Figure 7 is an exemplary interface that enables the user (150) to provide such documents and information (63) to the tax consultant (210).
  • the draft submission (64) may include forms and documents that have been prepared by the tax consultant (210) on behalf of the user (150) for their approval prior to submission to the taxation department (130).
  • Such an interface may also provide the user (150) with access to previously submitted documents, including previous submissions to the relevant statutory or regulatory authority, e.g. tax returns previously submitted by the consultant(s), and correspondence to/from the taxation department (130).
  • Payments may be required from the user (150) to the taxation consultant (210) and/or directly to the taxation department (130), and the user (150) may also be entitled to refunds and hence the system may be configured to enable transfer of funds in both directions.
  • An exemplary interface (258) that enables the user (150) to make payments (66) is illustrated in Figure 7. Typically, such payments would be made by credit card and in this regard, the interface allows the user (150) to enter their credit card details, but other electronic payment options may be presented.
  • the consultant (210) may also have access to various functionality using application (170).
  • Figure 8 shows in greater detail segment 800 of Figure 1 and, in particular, various tax consultant functions.
  • the application (170) may provide a range of functionality for tax consultants (210) to maintain their profile (skills and experience) to attract new clients, then once engaged by the client, to interact with them.
  • Such functionality may include the ability to message the client (as previously described), request information from the client, view documents and information provided by the client, and upload forms and documents for approval and submission to the relevant authority, e.g. taxation department.
  • the application (170) may integrate with standardized practice management software used by the consultant(s) (210), which will allow the consultant(s) (210) to prepare necessary documentation using software that is already known to them.
  • tax consultants may prepare returns and statements using their own practice management software, and may subsequently upload the returns and statements directly onto the server (20) using application (170) for approval by the user (150) and submission to the taxation department.
  • Figure 8 illustrates an example of a practice management system (270), i.e. software or computer systems used by a consulting practice (260) for whom the consultant (210) works, where the consulting practice (260) could be a sole practice or a larger organisation.
  • the practice management system (270) enables the consultant (210) to manage their clients, maintain records, and prepare submissions as previously described.
  • FIG. 8 Examples of functionality provided to a consultant (210) through use of the application (170) are shown in Figure 8 in the various interfaces (282, 284, 286, 288, 290 and 240) shown. Interface (282) enables the consultant (210) to maintain their profile (45) including uploading and editing details relating to skills, experience and the type of work they will undertake. Such data will be used to match the user (150) with the appropriate consultant (210) as previously described.
  • Interface (284) shows a list of tasks (62) that need to be actioned by the user (150) or the consultant (210). Examples may include a request for the user (150) to provide information (63) required by the consultant (210), or the task may include a request for the consultant (210) to review certain information or documentation uploaded by the user (150).
  • Interface (286) is an example interface that enables the consultant (210) to manage the clients (150) who have engaged (60) the consultant (210). For example, a listing of all engaged clients may be presented to the consultant (210) and may include functionality that enables the consultant (210) to sort through and filter the clients in order to facilitate location of a particular client amongst all listed clients, and for ease of access to particular client records. Such an interface may also enable the consultant (210) to access communication facility (240) which enables the consultant (210) to message the user (150), including to engage in a real-time chat with the user (150).
  • Interface (288) is an example interface that allows the consultant (210) to review and download information and documents provided by the user (150)
  • interface (290) is another example interface that allows the consultant (210) to provide submissions (64) such as forms and documents for the user to review and approve, for subsequent submission to the taxation department (130).
  • the user and consultant devices (160) could be a tablet computer, a smartphone, a laptop computer, a desktop computer, or another type of computing device.
  • the user/consultant device (160) may include a display that provides an interface for the user to input and/or view information.
  • a user could interact with the device using a program run on a laptop computer, such as a text-based chat program, a voice-based communication program, and/or a video-based communication program.
  • the user/consultant device (160) could be a telephone (e.g., a landline, cell phone, etc.).
  • the central server (20) may be a single computer, the partial computing resources of a single computer, a plurality of computers communicating with one another, or a network of remote servers (e.g., cloud).
  • the one or more servers can house local databases and/or communicate with one or more external databases.
  • the user and consultant devices (160) may communicate with the server (20) over a network.
  • the network may be a wide segment network ("WAN"), e.g., the Internet.
  • the network may be a local segment network ("LAN").
  • LAN local segment network
  • the network may be a combination of a WAN and a LAN.
  • the user/consultant device (160) is a phone (e.g., a landline or a cell phone)
  • the communication may pass through a telecommunications network and/or a wide segment network.

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Abstract

La présente invention porte sur un système en ligne permettant à des consommateurs de collaborer avec des conseillers, comprenant : des bases de données contenant des détails de conseillers disponibles pour une collaboration ; un module de mise en correspondance permettant de recevoir des détails concernant les exigences d'un consommateur et de mener un processus de mise en correspondance par rapport aux bases de données de manière à déterminer un conseiller approprié pour les exigences du consommateur ; un module de communication permettant de transmettre des détails d'identification à un consommateur concernant le conseiller localisé par le module de mise en correspondance, les détails d'identification comprenant un lien hypertexte vers chaque conseiller identifié par le module de mise en correspondance, de recevoir une sélection provenant d'un consommateur concernant les conseillers avec lesquels il préfère entrer en contact, d'établir des moyens de communication directe entre le consommateur et le conseiller, les moyens de communication directe permettant de traiter des messages entre le consommateur et des conseillers sélectionnés, de traiter des documents partagés entre le consommateur et le conseiller, et de traiter des obligations en cours et des échéances associées à chaque obligation ; et un module de paiement permettant de recevoir des fonds en provenance de consommateurs et diriger des fonds sélectionnés vers le conseiller.
PCT/AU2021/050013 2020-01-08 2021-01-08 Système et procédé permettant de mettre en place une collaboration entre des conseillers et des consommateurs et de faciliter des transactions WO2021138722A1 (fr)

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Citations (5)

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Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US20090119141A1 (en) * 2007-11-05 2009-05-07 Avior Computing Corporation Monitoring and managing regulatory compliance among organizations
WO2010045459A1 (fr) * 2008-10-15 2010-04-22 Workscape, Inc. Gestion des avantages pour une gestion du capital humain au niveau de l’entreprise
US20110131114A1 (en) * 2005-07-15 2011-06-02 Saudi Arabian Oil Company Methods for managing contract procurement
US20120309363A1 (en) * 2011-06-03 2012-12-06 Apple Inc. Triggering notifications associated with tasks items that represent tasks to perform
US20140006075A1 (en) * 2012-06-28 2014-01-02 Sap Ag Assigning a Consultant to an Enterprise System

Patent Citations (6)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US20110131114A1 (en) * 2005-07-15 2011-06-02 Saudi Arabian Oil Company Methods for managing contract procurement
US20090119141A1 (en) * 2007-11-05 2009-05-07 Avior Computing Corporation Monitoring and managing regulatory compliance among organizations
US8818837B2 (en) * 2007-11-05 2014-08-26 Avior Computing Corporation Monitoring and managing regulatory compliance among organizations
WO2010045459A1 (fr) * 2008-10-15 2010-04-22 Workscape, Inc. Gestion des avantages pour une gestion du capital humain au niveau de l’entreprise
US20120309363A1 (en) * 2011-06-03 2012-12-06 Apple Inc. Triggering notifications associated with tasks items that represent tasks to perform
US20140006075A1 (en) * 2012-06-28 2014-01-02 Sap Ag Assigning a Consultant to an Enterprise System

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