Handling Taxes In Computer-Based Sales Transactions

Abstract

Methods and apparatus, including computer program products, implementing techniques for handling taxes in computer-based sales transactions. In a sales transaction, a buyer makes a purchase from a seller. The purchase has a purchase price and a tax amount owed on the purchase. In one aspect, the techniques include using a tax handling proxy to identify a tax calculation service for a sales transaction and to interact with the identified tax calculation service to obtain the tax amount for the sales transaction. The tax calculation service is provided by a governmental tax authority. In another aspect, the techniques include transferring payment for a tax amount from the buyer to the governmental tax authority without passing through the seller. The payment for the tax amount is transferred contemporaneously with a transfer of a payment for the purchase price to the seller.

1 - 13 . (canceled) 
     
     
         14 . A machine-readable storage device encoded with a computer program product that is operable to cause data processing apparatus to perform operations comprising:
 handling taxes for a sales transaction in which a buyer makes a purchase from a seller, the purchase having a purchase price and a tax amount owed on the purchase, wherein handling taxes for a sales transaction includes using a tax handling proxy to:
 identify a remote, third party tax calculation service for the sales transaction, the third party tax calculation service being provided by a governmental tax authority; and 
 transfer sales transaction properties to the third party tax calculation service; 
 receive an indication of the tax amount from the third party tax calculation service; and 
 transfer payment for the tax amount from the buyer to the governmental tax authority without passing through the seller to prevent access to the payment by the seller. 
   
     
     
         15 . The machine-readable storage device of  claim 14 , wherein the transfer of payment for the tax amount from the buyer to the governmental tax authority commences as soon as the sales transaction occurs. 
     
     
         16 . The machine-readable storage device of  claim 14 , wherein the transfer of payment for the tax amount from the buyer to the governmental tax authority is contemporaneous with transferring a payment for the purchase price to the seller. 
     
     
         17 . The machine-readable storage device of  claim 14 , wherein the tax handling proxy is an intermediary between the sales system and the third party tax calculation service. 
     
     
         18 . The machine-readable storage device of  claim 14 , wherein identifying the third party tax calculation service includes identifying based on one or more properties of the sales transaction. 
     
     
         19 . The machine-readable storage device of  claim 18 , wherein the one or more properties of the sales transaction include one or more of:
 geographical location of the buyer;   geographical location of the seller;   geographical location where the buyer pays taxes; and   geographical location where the product will be used.   
     
     
         20 . The machine-readable storage device of  claim 18 , wherein identifying the third party tax calculation service includes using a lookup table that maps the one or more properties of the sales transaction to one or more third party tax calculation services. 
     
     
         21 . The machine-readable storage device of  claim 14 , wherein the tax handling proxy interacts with the third party tax calculation service through a Web services interface. 
     
     
         22 . A system, comprising:
 a download portal; and   a tax handling proxy configured for handling taxes for a sales transaction in which a buyer makes a purchase of downloadable software from a seller through the download portal, the purchase having a purchase price and a tax amount owed on the purchase, the tax handling proxy:
 identifying a remote, third party tax calculation service for the sales transaction, the third party tax calculation service being provided by a governmental tax authority; 
 transferring sales transaction properties to the third party tax calculation service; and 
 receiving an indication of the tax amount from the third party tax calculation service, 
   wherein a transfer of payment for the tax amount from the buyer to the governmental tax authority occurs without passing through the seller to prevent access to the payment by the seller.   
     
     
         23 . The system of  claim 22 , wherein the transfer of payment for the tax amount from the buyer to the governmental tax authority commences as soon as the sales transaction occurs. 
     
     
         24 . The system of  claim 22 , wherein the transfer of payment for the tax amount from the buyer to the governmental tax authority is contemporaneous with transferring a payment for the purchase price to the seller. 
     
     
         25 . The system of  claim 22 , wherein the tax handling proxy is an intermediary between the sales system and the third party tax calculation service. 
     
     
         26 . The system of  claim 22 , wherein identifying the third party tax calculation service includes identifying based on one or more properties of the sales transaction. 
     
     
         27 . The system of  claim 26 , wherein the one or more properties of the sales transaction include one or more of:
 geographical location of the buyer;   geographical location of the seller;   geographical location where the buyer pays taxes; and   geographical location where the product will be used.   
     
     
         28 . The system of  claim 26 , wherein identifying the third party tax calculation service includes using a lookup table that maps the one or more properties of the sales transaction to one or more third party tax calculation services. 
     
     
         29 . The system of  claim 22 , wherein the tax handling proxy interacts with the third party tax calculation service through a Web services interface. 
     
     
         30 . A method of handling taxes for a sales transaction in which a buyer makes a purchase from a seller, the purchase having a purchase price and a tax amount owed on the purchase, the method comprising:
 instantiating a tax handling proxy in a sales system of a seller;   providing a download portal in the sales system, through which the buyer can purchase and download software from the seller;   identifying a remote, third party tax calculation service for the sales transaction, the third party tax calculation service being provided by a governmental tax authority;   transferring sales transaction properties to the third party tax calculation service; and   receiving an indication of the tax amount from the third party tax calculation service, a payment for the tax amount from the buyer being transferred to the governmental tax authority without passing through the seller to prevent access to the payment by the seller.   
     
     
         31 . The method of  claim 30 , wherein the transfer of payment for the tax amount from the buyer to the governmental tax authority commences as soon as the sales transaction occurs. 
     
     
         32 . The method of  claim 30 , wherein the transfer of payment for the tax amount from the buyer to the governmental tax authority is contemporaneous with transferring a payment for the purchase price to the seller. 
     
     
         33 . The method of  claim 30 , wherein the tax handling proxy is an intermediary between the sales system and the third party tax calculation service.