ABBYY FlexiCapture Engine Makes Tax Time, Relax Time

Background

Point, shoot, click…done! That’s how easy it is for taxpayers that use SnapTax to file their taxes this year. Powered by OCR functionality from the ABBYY FlexiCapture Engine, the new app from TurboTax literally lets users file their taxes using their mobile phones – enabling them to get the job done in a couple of minutes.

Challenge

Simplify filing Federal Income Tax for individuals who use Form 1040EZ, by automating the transfer of their W-2 information to the form.

Solution

Thanks to ABBYY technology, SnapTax makes filing a less taxing experience all the way around. The elegance and simplicity of SnapTax makes filing as easy as 1-2-3.

Here’s how:

• First, 1040EZ filers snap a photo of their W-2 forms with their iPhone or Android.
• SnapTax automatically populates their 1040EZ form.
• Users then prepare and e-file federal and state returns with a few more clicks – entirely from their phone.

That’s it! The app's ease of use is inherent in its appeal to users, who love being able to do their taxes on the phone. 

SnapTax has attracted a lot of attention, and ABBYY is excited to be a part of it with FlexiCapture SDK. And as Eftekhari confirms, “We considered a number of possible OCR solutions. ABBYY’s FlexiCapture Engine produced great results.”

Results

For the team at TurboTax, partnering with ABBYY was a very positive experience:

Looking ahead, TurboTax is taking what they learned with this app and forging ahead to make it even better. “Intuit is a company built on innovation, and mobile is one of our key strategies,” said Eftekhari. “We’re looking at a lot of exciting new things for 2011 and beyond."