Intuit, the company that makes TurboTax software, introduced an application called SnapTax, an app that lets users automatically fill out the most basic of the I.R.S. personal tax forms, 1040EZ. SnapTax, is available on iPhone (News - Alert) and Android phones, and is intended for consumers who are increasingly using their mobile phones for everything, including shopping and banking.

Intuit’s (News - Alert) SnapTax app, relies on image-recognition technology to read salary and withholding information from the W-2. Before users even think about hitting the file button, users have to answer a few questions and review their return for accuracy before submitting it electronically.

Taxes on a mobile platform, is the next big step in transitioning people who are accustomed to preparing their returns with a pencil and calculator or on a desktop computer. Colleen Gatlin, an Intuit spokeswoman said, “SnapTax offers the possibility of doing taxes in atypical locations, but the reality is likely more mundane” but she also added “We don’t expect that people will be filing on the train”. 

SnapTax can only be used by individuals earning less than $80,000, while married couples must earn less than $100,000. The limit for individuals is lower than the $100,000 cap set by the Internal Revenue Service for those taxpayers using the 1040EZ but not filing by mobile phone.

With technical advancements and the spread of smartphones, image-recognition technology, is increasingly being put to use in online. SnapTax is among a number of mobile phone apps related to taxes (H&R Block’s app being one of them). Intuit charges $15 for each filing through the app, and it says that completing a return can take as little as 15 minutes.