Transient Tax Data Processing System
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing tax return preparation software relies on vendors to securely store sensitive tax data, raising concerns about user trust and data protection.
Innovation Solution
A system that provides a user interface for entering tax data on a client device, where the data is processed and calculations are performed without being stored on the server, ensuring data security by keeping it transient on the server's memory and purging it immediately after use.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If tax data is stored on remote servers for processing, then processing capability and accessibility are improved, but data security and user trust deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The system segments the tax processing function into two parts: data entry and processing are separated. The user interface allows data entry on the user's device, while the processing server only receives necessary computational results, not the actual tax data. This segmentation ensures that sensitive data never resides on remote servers, resolving the contradiction between processing capability and data security.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention extracts the sensitive tax data handling from the server-side processing model. Instead of storing tax data on servers, the system extracts only the essential processing logic to the user's device, with the server receiving only non-sensitive computational results. This extraction eliminates the security risk while maintaining processing functionality.
2Productivity
If tax data is stored on servers for processing, then processing capability is improved, but user trust and control over data deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements self-service by enabling users to perform data entry and initial processing on their own devices. The user interface allows taxpayers to input their data and view results locally without requiring server storage. This self-service approach restores user control and trust while maintaining processing capability through distributed computation.
3Productivity
If tax data is transmitted to servers for processing, then processing capability is improved, but data protection and privacy compliance deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts sensitive tax data from the server environment entirely. The server receives only processed results and computational parameters, not the actual tax information. This extraction eliminates the data breach risk associated with storing sensitive data on servers while maintaining processing capability through secure client-side computation.
Solution Approach 2:
The system converts the potential harm of data transmission into a benefit by implementing encryption and data minimization. Only encrypted, necessary data is transmitted to the server for processing, and the server returns only the required results. This approach reduces data breach risk while maintaining processing capability through secure, minimal data exchange.
Data Source
AI summary
A method includes providing to a tax-data provider a set of computer-executable instructions that, when executed by an electronic device, generate a user interface displayable on a display device coupled to the electronic device and operable to enable the tax-data provider to enter a tax-data set. The electronic system receives, but does not store, the tax-data set. A mathematical operation is performed using the received tax data, yielding a value. The electronic system provides the value to the electronic device.