Patent ID: 8738478

Claim:
A computer-implemented tax payment method, the method being performed by an intermediate computer in communication with a computer of a first tax authority and a computer of a second tax authority, the method comprising: the intermediate computer preparing respective first and second electronic tax returns of a taxpayer for respective first and second tax authorities by execution of a tax preparation application and accessing respective first and second electronic tax returns to determine an amount of tax owed by the taxpayer to the first tax authority and an amount of a tax refund owed by the second tax authority to the taxpayer; the intermediate computer receiving an instruction by the taxpayer indicating how to apply the tax refund owed by the second tax authority to pay the tax owed to the first tax authority; the intermediate computer electronically filing respective first and second electronic tax returns with respective first and second tax authorities; the intermediate computer receiving, from respective computers of respective first and second tax authorities, confirmation of the amount owed to the first tax authority and the amount of the refund owed by the second tax authority; and the intermediate computer executing the instruction for an inter tax authority transfer through the intermediate computer by withdrawing or receiving the refund from the computer of the second tax authority and applying the tax refund as an electronic payment of the tax owed to the computer of the first tax authority.