Method and apparatus for automatic tax verification

Abstract

A method for tracking tax payment information includes fixing a unique machine readable identifier to each of a number of taxable items, storing each of the unique machine readable identifiers in a computer readable memory, and storing tax payment information in the computer readable memory for each of the items. The unique machine readable identifier may take the form of a machine readable symbol such as a barcode symbol or as a wireless memory device such as a radio frequency identification (“RFID”) tag. The tax information may include data such as the tax payment status, tax payment authority, a tax payment sum, a tax payment date, identify of a manufacturer, identify of a product or product type, and the identify of a product origin. Tax payment information may include tax payment information from multiple taxing authorities. The method may further include reading the unique machine readable identifier and retrieving the tax payment information based on the identifier to verify that the appropriate taxes have been paid. The computer readable memory may be a centralized database, may be located in a reading device being used to verify compliance, or be located in the RFID tag secured to the taxed good.

We claim:  
     
         1 . A printer for tax labels, comprising: 
 a printhead movably positionable with respect to a print media; and    a controller coupled to the printhead to cause the printhead to print a number of machine-readable symbols each encoding a unique identifier on the print media associatable with tax information.    
     
     
         2 . The printer of  claim 1 , further comprising: 
 a transport mechanism controlled by the controller and operable to transport the print media with respect to the printhead.    
     
     
         3 . The printer of  claim 1  wherein the unique identifiers are printed sequentially.  
     
     
         4 . A device to track tax data, comprising 
 a reader selectively operable to read a unique identifier from an item;    a user input device selectively operable to input tax information regarding the item; and    a communications link coupled to the reader and the user input device to transmit the unique identifier and tax information from the device.    
     
     
         5 . The device of  claim 4  wherein the reader comprises a wireless transmitter and receiver having a frequency compatible with an operating frequency of a wireless memory device carried by the item and encoding the unique identifier.  
     
     
         6 . The device of  claim 4  wherein the reader comprises an RF tag interrogator to interrogate an RF tag carried by the item and encoding the unique identifier.  
     
     
         7 . The device of  claim 4  wherein the reader comprises an optical imager and decoder to image and decode the unique identifier encoded in a machine-readable symbol.  
     
     
         8 . The device of  claim 4 , further comprising: 
 an automatic calendar coupled to the communications link to provide a date thereto each time the communications link transmits the unique identifier and tax information from the device.    
     
     
         9 . A tax verification device, comprising: 
 a reader selectively operable to read a unique identifier from an item; and    a bi-directional communications link selectively operable to transmit the read unique identifier from the device and to receive tax information based on the read unique identifier.    
     
     
         10 . The tax verification device of  claim 9  wherein the reader comprises 
 a wireless transmitter and receiver having a frequency compatible with an operating frequency of a wireless memory device carried by the item and encoding the unique identifier.  
 
     
     
         11 . The tax verification device of  claim 9  wherein the reader comprises 
 an RF tag interrogator to interrogate an RF tag carried by the item and encoding the unique identifier.  
 
     
     
         12 . The tax verification device of  claim 9  wherein the reader comprises 
 an optical imager and decoder to image and decode the unique identifier encoded in a machine-readable symbol.  
 
     
     
         13 . A machine readable structure, comprising: 
 a data structure storing tax information concerning a taxable item; and    means for associating the machine readable structure with the taxable item.    
     
     
         14 . The machine readable structure of  claim 13  wherein the machine readable structure comprises a wireless memory tag.  
     
     
         15 . The machine readable structure of  claim 13  wherein the machine readable structure comprises a machine-readable symbol.  
     
     
         16 . The machine readable structure of  claim 13  wherein the data structure stores a tax payment condition corresponding to a tax payment status of the taxable item  
     
     
         17 . The machine readable structure of  claim 13  wherein the data structure stores a product type identifier and a manufacture identifier.  
     
     
         18 . The machine readable structure of  claim 13  wherein the data structure stores a taxing authority identifier.  
     
     
         19 . The machine readable structure of  claim 13  wherein the data structure stores a tax payment date.  
     
     
         20 . The machine readable structure of  claim 13  wherein the data structure stores an amount of tax paid.  
     
     
         21 . The machine readable structure of  claim 13  wherein the data structure stores an origin identifier corresponding to an origin of the taxable item.  
     
     
         22 . A computer-readable memory, comprising: 
 a data structure having a number of records, each of the records identifiable by an identifier corresponding to a taxable item and storing a tax payment condition corresponding to a tax payment status of the taxable item.    
     
     
         23 . The computer-readable memory of  claim 22  wherein the records further store a product type identifier and a manufacture identifier.  
     
     
         24 . The computer-readable memory of  claim 22  wherein the records further store a taxing authority identifier.  
     
     
         25 . The computer-readable memory of  claim 22  wherein the records further store a tax payment date.  
     
     
         26 . The computer-readable memory of  claim 22  wherein the records further store an amount of tax paid.  
     
     
         27 . The computer-readable memory of  claim 22  wherein the records further store an origin identifier corresponding to an origin of the taxable item.