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Can kiosks make taxes easier?

Tax season is upon us, and many are likely feeling stressed about how to fill out their taxes. Can kiosks help lessen this stress by offering tax-related services?

February 22, 2016 by Bradley Cooper — Editor, ATM Marketplace & Food Truck Operator

Tax season is here, with all its various arcane rules and stressful situations. The rewards are high, since you can potentially get a big refund. However, the risks are also high, with the threat of paying back taxes or dealing with an audit a present danger. There are many businesses that help consumers with their taxes, but what about self-service kiosks? Can they provide a good tax solution?

First off, we need to define what kiosks can and cannot do. Can kiosks provide a complete tax solution? There are several limitations at play here. The first is that self-service solutions are usually ideal for quick tasks such as signing up for a retail loyalty program, renting a movie or paying your bills. However, tax returns can take a lot more time to complete.

"Kiosks could probably be set up with online tax software which would allow people to submit their taxes right there, but that is probably a time-intensive task, and people would need to have all of their documentation with them," said Laura Miller, director of marketing for KioWare Kiosk Software.

There are some businesses that offer "self-assist computer kiosks." One company is the Free File Alliance, which teamed up with the Internal Revenue Service to offer tax software to computer kiosks in 14 states in the U.S., according to a press release. Other smaller tax businesses also offer computer stations to customers who don't have access to Internet so they can sit down and do their taxes.

However, self-service kiosks can bring a different service to the tax equation, mainly tax experts through telepresence tools. "Instead of helping people complete their taxes, (which is doable, but would require a number of kiosks, and advertising to promote the service), it would be great to have kiosks set up with access to a tax expert via video chat," Miller said. "This would be a great service to provide those filling out their taxes." Several healthcare companies are beginning to use telepresence kiosks to allow customers to access doctors remotely, so why not do the same thing with tax experts?

Kiosks can also perform other peripheral tax-related services. For example, a kiosk could allow people to find and print the correct tax forms. This could be especially helpful if the user had a unique tax situation. In addition, a kiosk could integrate an app that would help users figure out what type of information and forms they needed to complete their taxes.

"Much of what is complicated about filling out your taxes is a) knowing what information will be helpful and b) knowing which tax breaks make sense for you to seek out or c) finding an accountant or scheduling time to meet with an accountant," Miller said. "A kiosk could be an asset for all three of these (schedule a meeting, centralize information, and/or ask an expert) for instance."

While self-service kiosks may not be the best tool for performing all of your taxes, it can prove very useful in providing a variety of self-service tools to act as a tax preparation aid to users. Kiosks can provide an important tool to user's omnichannel toolbox to get through this tax season with minimal stress.

About Bradley Cooper

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Bradley Cooper is the editor of ATM Marketplace and Food Truck Operator. He was previously the editor of Digital Signage Today. His background is in information technology, advertising, and writing.

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