Background

TaxAct is a leading name in online tax preparation, trusted by over 3 million consumers and professionals. As an industry disruptor, TaxAct is committed to guiding users through the complexities and stress of tax filing—without the hefty price tag. By combining robust tax filing tools with exceptional user experiences, TaxAct empowers first-time filers with the knowledge and confidence to file their taxes successfully. Hearing stories from customers who rely on their tax refunds as the largest financial boost of the year has been both inspiring and deeply rewarding for our team.

During my time at TaxAct, I served as the sole UI/UX designer and researcher for the Federal filing section, managing updates in response to ever-changing tax laws. Simplifying such a complex and dynamic process was no small feat, but it was an incredibly fulfilling challenge. Of the various sections I worked on, I found the self-employment filing process to be the most demanding yet rewarding to tackle—a journey I’m excited to share.

• Led the complete redesign of the desktop and mobile self-employment filing experience, along with updates to other sections of the federal filing process, from October to January 2021.
• Partnered with engineers, tax experts, designers, and product managers to gather detailed feedback and refine designs before user testing.
• Organized and facilitated customer feedback sessions to gain valuable insights into user interactions with prototypes, identifying pain points and areas for improvement.
• Compiled detailed data reports based on user sessions to inform design decisions and drive strategic enhancements.
• Presented prioritized research findings to stakeholders, validating key initiatives and strengthening proposals to secure funding.
• Monitored tax season performance data, consistently analyzing completion rates, drop-off points, and user feedback in real-time to ensure ongoing improvements.

The self-employment section of the federal tax filing experience posed significant challenges for users, often leading to confusion, incomplete filings, and decreased user satisfaction. Existing designs lacked clarity and intuitive navigation, especially on mobile platforms, causing drop-offs and reduced completion rates during the tax season. Without a user-centered approach to design and continuous feedback integration, the product risked failing to meet the needs of its diverse user base, particularly self-employed individuals managing complex tax situations. Addressing these issues required a thorough redesign and real-time performance monitoring to enhance usability, streamline the experience, and build user confidence.

At the discovery phase of my project, I conducted interviews with self-employed individuals between the ages of 25 and 45, including freelancers, gig workers, and small business owners.

I began by asking respondents about their attitudes toward tax filing, their level of experience with self-employment taxes, and any challenges they faced in the process. Next, I had them navigate the existing self-employment section of the platform, observing their interactions as they attempted to complete a typical filing scenario. Afterward, I gathered feedback on their overall impressions and the specific obstacles they encountered while using the platform.

Through this process, I identified patterns in user behavior, pain points, and preferences. I aggregated these findings into a persona to inform the design process and ensure the new experience addressed the real needs of our users.

• Enhance Usability and Clarity- Redesign the self-employment section of the federal tax filing experience to provide clear, intuitive navigation and guidance, especially on mobile platforms.
  
• Improve User Completion Rates- Minimize drop-offs during the tax filing process by ensuring the experience is seamless and frustration-free, addressing common pain points for self-employed individuals.
  
• Increase User Satisfaction and Confidence- Build trust and confidence in the product by providing a streamlined and supportive filing experience tailored to the needs of self-employed users.

• Lack of Familiarity with Tax Terminology- Many users are overwhelmed by technical jargon and unfamiliar tax terms, making it difficult to understand what is required or how to proceed confidently.
  
• Lengthy and Tedious Process- Tax filing feels like a never-ending task, requiring users to gather numerous documents and repeatedly input information, which leads to fatigue and frustration.
  
• Unclear Instructions for Self-Employment Taxes- Instructions for self-employment tax sections often lack clarity, leaving users confused about what forms they need, what deductions they qualify for, and how to calculate taxes accurately.
  
• Complexity of Self-Employment Situations- Self-employed individuals face additional challenges, such as managing multiple income streams, understanding estimated taxes, and determining which expenses are deductible.
  
• Fear of Errors or IRS Penalties- Users worry about making mistakes that could result in financial penalties, audits, or delayed refunds, further increasing stress and hesitation.
  
• Non-Intuitive Navigation- Existing interfaces can be challenging to navigate, especially on mobile devices, where limited screen space exacerbates the difficulty of accessing critical information and forms.
  
• Insufficient Guidance and Support- Users often feel unsupported, with limited access to clear explanations, step-by-step help, or personalized guidance, especially when dealing with unique or complex tax scenarios.

• Simplified Tax Information- A software solution that breaks down complicated tax forms into easy-to-understand steps and plain language, ensuring users can file their taxes without confusion or needing extensive tax knowledge.
  
• Maximized Refunds- Tools that work proactively to identify all eligible deductions, credits, and benefits, ensuring users receive the largest possible refund while staying compliant with tax laws.
  
• Time Efficiency- A streamlined process that minimizes the time and effort required to file taxes, with features like auto-importing financial data, pre-filled forms, and intuitive workflows that reduce manual input.
  
• Confidence and Accuracy- A platform that provides clear guidance, error-checking capabilities, and reassurance that filings are accurate and compliant, helping users feel secure about their submissions.
  
• Personalization for Self-Employment- Specialized tools tailored to the needs of self-employed individuals, including calculators for estimated taxes, detailed guidance on deductible expenses, and support for managing multiple income streams.

If we ...
• Develop a streamlined path to orient users' and organize information in a manner that resonates with users' mental models.

• Reduce the number of clicks required for users to access the information they seek. 

• Revise the code to optimize loading times for enhanced performance.

Then we... 

• Will empower users so that they can find all the information necessary to carry out their mission. These updates will result in increased user adoption and less help tickets.     

Through extensive research, I identified key pain points hindering the user experience, including disorientation while navigating the interface and frustration with unclear or irrelevant questions. Users often felt uncertain about the accuracy of their tax returns, with many citing the time-consuming and confusing nature of unrelated prompts as a significant barrier.

Common feedback included:

• “Your product is tedious to navigate, and the questions leave me confused about what to select.”
• “Why am I being asked all these questions that don’t apply to me?”

These findings highlight the need for a streamlined, user-centered design that focuses on clarity, relevance, and efficiency to build confidence and improve the overall experience.

Following five months of intensive design and development, we unveiled the redesigned self-employment experience to a select group of users in January 2021. Throughout this phase, we documented user feedback via post-filing surveys, tracking all user sentiments. Upon confirming that the redesign had no adverse effects on metrics, we proceeded to gradually extend the new design to all users.

The outcomes surpassed our expectations, delivering an impressive 41% increase in completion rates as compared to previous metrics. This remarkable achievement left us elated and profoundly satisfied. It stands as a testament to the collaborative efforts of our dedicated team, including developers, quality assurance personnel, and product specialists, all of whom played integral roles in realizing this success.

Looking back on this project some I gained some important take aways:

• Embrace simplicity: Avoid overwhelming users with excessive text; concise content minimizes confusion.
  
• Facilitate search options: When presenting numerous selections, empower users with the ability to search, streamlining their experience.
  
• Form clarity is paramount: Users swiftly identified forms by name when readily available, while ambiguity arose when dealing with self-reporting or unfamiliar forms.
  
• Assume zero tax knowledge: Maintain simplicity in content to cater to users with minimal tax understanding.
  
• Establish clear patterns: Consistency in the initiation, conclusion, and progression of tasks aids user navigation.
  
• Prioritize upfront information: Users prefer pertinent descriptions upfront rather than concealed behind tooltips when making decisions.
  
• Manage task complexity: Keep tasks on a page minimal or progressively reveal information to prevent overwhelming users.