Collaborative Calculation System for Tax Compliance

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Solution Overview

Problem

Calculating corporation tax for large companies with complex tax rules and multiple stakeholders is challenging due to interdependence of calculations, manual data transfer, and security concerns, leading to compliance issues and potential financial penalties.

Innovation Solution

A computer-implemented method and system for collaborative calculation among multiple client devices, using a database to store calculation state, a messaging service for real-time updates, and a calculation engine to ensure consistent rule execution, with caching to prevent duplication and improve performance.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If manual data transfer between parties is used, then security concerns are reduced, but tracking calculation workflow and ensuring up-to-date information becomes difficult

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveworkflow tracking reliabilityVSAvoiddata transfer system complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent merges data storage, workflow tracking, and information distribution into a single centralized database system. All parties access the same database through standardized interfaces, eliminating the need for separate manual transfer processes and enabling automatic synchronization of calculation data across all stakeholders.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The system implements automatic feedback mechanisms where the centralized database continuously notifies parties of data updates and workflow status changes. This ensures all stakeholders receive real-time information about calculation progress and data changes without manual intervention, improving reliability while reducing complexity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

2Productivity

If data is transferred back and forth manually, then security concerns are minimized, but the calculation cannot be completed in a timely and accurate manner

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecalculation completion speedVSAvoidinformation synchronization accuracy
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSLoss of information

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces a centralized database as an intermediary between all calculation parties. Instead of direct peer-to-peer data transfer, all data exchanges route through this central repository, ensuring consistent information distribution and eliminating synchronization errors while enabling parallel processing that accelerates calculation completion.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The system performs preliminary actions by pre-establishing the centralized database structure and data validation rules before calculations begin. This upfront preparation ensures data integrity is maintained from the start and enables immediate high-speed processing without subsequent synchronization issues.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

3Adaptability or versatility

If external collaboration is required, then comprehensive calculation coverage is achieved, but data transfer security and workflow tracking become problematic

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecollaboration flexibilityVSAvoiddata security and tracking reliability
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The centralized database is designed as a universal platform that serves multiple functions simultaneously: secure data storage, workflow tracking, real-time notification, and standardized data exchange. This multi-functional approach enables flexible external collaboration while maintaining security and reliability through a single robust system rather than multiple separate mechanisms.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

4Reliability

If manual data transfer is used, then system simplicity is maintained, but duplication of work and contradictory views occur

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecalculation state consistencyVSAvoiddata synchronization system complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The system creates and maintains identical copies of the calculation data across all user interfaces by reading from the centralized database. This ensures all parties view the same calculation state without manual copying, eliminating contradictory views while the database's internal consistency mechanisms prevent duplication of work.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #26Copying

Data Source

PatentEP4328829A1Collaborative calculation
Publication Date: 2024.02.28 TAX SYST LTD
  • EP4328829A1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP4328829A1 patent drawingFigure 2A~2B
  • EP4328829A1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

A computer-implemented method includes providing a user interface to each of a plurality of client devices including a respective view of at least part of a collaborative calculation and functionality to determine values associated with the collaborative calculation, the respective view depending on a calculation structure. The method includes receiving a first message at a calculation engine indicating values determined by a first client device, and responsive to the first message: processing the values in accordance with a set of rules to update a state of the collaborative calculation; storing data indicative of the updated state in a cache, and publishing a second message indicating the updating of the state. Responsive to the second message, the method includes signalling to the plurality of client devices to update data stored in the database to reflect the updated state.