CUSTOM SALES TAX SOFTWARE SOLUTION FOR TAX TECHNOLOGY COMPANY

PRODUCT OVERVIEW

Traditional software solutions are complex, do not cover all the tax filing process aspects, and lack interstate capabilities. Configuration and integration with the invoicing software is usually a long process requiring help from IT specialists and several days of trying to get it to work properly. Our client’s software program changed the game by allowing customers to test invoice transactions quickly, and file returns in minutes, all without any help from IT.

The validation procedure is fast. Unlike other solutions, this software generates on-screen notifications to pinpoint jurisdictional errors, net credit amounts, and rate variances down to the local level. You can correct the client’s front-end data issues without dumping the data or engaging the override feature to make pre- and post-dated adjustments. You can use the adjustment library to handle those unique items necessary for complete tax return filing. The software validates, reconciles, and simplifies the filing process.

This software gives complete control over the backend. Simply upload the client’s data file and start the review process by reconciling sales tax collected to the sales tax calculated to the client G/L. All variances are color-coded down to the local level for easy identification. Click to start the filing process with e-file or e-return with the option to save supporting documentation on a spreadsheet. It’s designed to offer better control, efficiency to review, and quicker to file. The product includes a Rate Lookup tool as well, showing historical rates and tax codes specific to a collection period, and an integrated tax calendar that tracks all clients’ filing obligations in a single view, which is a must-have tool for customers during the filing process.

THE EXECUTION

The team was created with the following resources:

1. Project Director
2. Architect / PM / Team Leader / DB Expert
3. Senior Business Analyst
4. Senior Net / ASPX Developer
5. SemiSenior Net / ASPX Developer
6. Senior Web designer / UX Expert
7. QA BlackBox Tester

The project was divided into modules, following the logic flow of the application, and milestones were associated with those modules or their sections. The first version was released six months after the project started, and certified in the state of North Carolina, with the purpose of performing QA on real data. After a year, a fully functional version was released, prompting customers to immediately start using it. Based on customer day-to-day work and their requirements, a third version of the product was released two years after the project started. After that period and until today we are improving the software with new functionalities and better performance — scaling it for more processing and data storage with a server DB cluster version, and refacing it completely to improve the UX.

THE TECHNOLOGY

The product was developed as a web application, supporting all the commercial HTML5 / CSS3 most popular browsers in the market (Firefox, Chrome, Safari and Internet Explorer). The whole application is based on ASPX with jQuery AJAX extensions. The database engine is SQL Server 2008 R2, and extensive usage of store procedures was done to keep performance optimal. Application has logic to maintain automatic table partitioning on demand, and it is prepared to work with one or more DBs to scale and manage millions of transactions. The Net Framework version is 4, and the product runs on both 32 and 64 bit OS.

THE RESULTS

The project was a success and the deliverables were completed on time and within budget; the customer also contracted us to continue the development of a new complete line of products for the tax filing industry.