Tax Preparation Glossary

The following terms concern tax preparation software, online and other.

Note: This is not a glossary of tax terms. You can find such a glossary on the IRS website or other sites.

Authentication protects information either through a login, or other means, by verifying the identity of parties on both ends of an internet exchange before information exchange.

Direct deposit is an automated payment method that allows tax filing companies and other services to deposit your tax refund directly into your bank account. Note: many direct deposit services do not allow you to change your banking information later.

Download means copying a file from another system (most often the internet) to your personal computer.

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efile (also spelled e-file) electronically sends your tax form to the tax filing body (the IRS). You can buy a service (using any of the companies profiled on Tax Prep 101.com) or file for free (if you qualify).

Encryption ensures that your personal information will not be accessed by anyone other than the authorized party. Encryption alters data into a format safely transmitted over the Internet. Once the data has been transferred, it is decrypted using an encryption key.

FAQ stands for "frequently asked questions" and answers to those questions.

Firewall is an electronic barrier between internal and external computers in a network, controlling the flow of information between the two.

Interface is any screen you look at, as part of a website, software or other application: all the words, images, tabs, buttons, etc. which allow you to do things.

Upload is the opposite of download. To copy a file from your computer 'up' to another computer (usually through the internet).

URL stands for "universal resource locator," an address on the World Wide Web. It is the name you see in the small window at the top of a web browser, usually beginning with "http://"

WYSIWIG is also an acronym, meaning "What you see is what you get." It applies to any program or application that makes form-filling and other processes intuitively easy to do, with no need for the understanding of any programming languages. However, it does refer to HTML in other instances.