MásRefund

Challenge & Project Overview

MásRefund was founded on a powerful mission: to democratize the tax filing experience for Hispanic and non-native individuals in the U.S., a demographic that often faces intimidation and complexity within the traditional tax system.

As the venture grew, the team identified two critical needs:

1. Digital Trust & Brand Alignment: The need to unify disparate web properties into a single, confidence-inspiring ecosystem that could explain the service clearly to first-time filers.

2. Product Automation: The need to evolve the core product from an early-stage, assisted processing model into a scalable, self-service tax filing experience. As the platform matured, the focus shifted toward enabling a more streamlined, technology-driven workflow capable of supporting direct system integrations and future automation, while maintaining accuracy, security, and compliance with federal requirements.

The technical challenge was significant: building a secure, automated tax filing system that complied with strict IRS technical requirements while maintaining a simplified user experience for immigrant communities.

Solution Implemented

Blue People served as the integrated partner for both Marketing and Engineering, driving parallel workstreams to modernize the business structure.

Engineering Path: Automation Infrastructure

We focused on building the technical foundation for a scalable self-service model. Our team developed native iOS and Android applications to enable secure user document submission, along with a web-based Admin Dashboard to support internal processing, validation, and review workflows. The product experience was designed to ensure consistency, accessibility, and clarity across all user touchpoints within the platform.

Crucially, we architected the Direct IRS API integration framework. This involved implementing complex, certificate-based authentication protocols. While full automation was paused due to external constraints, we successfully reached a functional integration stage, establishing the secure pipelines required for federal compliance.

Marketing Path: Experience-Led Design

In parallel, we designed the public-facing website using Wix with a focus on education and reassurance. We engineered the site's architecture to break down complex tax concepts into simple steps, directly addressing the hesitation often felt by the target audience. To bridge the gap between marketing and product, we deployed live chat workflows and a referral system, creating a supportive environment that drives community-led growth.

Key Features

Native iOS Application: A Swift-based mobile environment for secure document submission and tax management.

• Administrative Command Center: A React/Node.js dashboard for internal oversight of the tax filing pipeline.

• IRS Integration Framework: Functional architecture for secure, certificate-based federal filing.

• Enterprise Cloud Security: AWS-based infrastructure (IAM, Cognito) ensuring strict data protection for sensitive financial information.

• Trust-Optimized Web Platform: A narrative-driven Wix site designed to reduce user friction and build confidence.

Live Assistance Ecosystem: Integrated chat and support bots to guide users in real-time.

Key Results and Benefits

Technical Readiness: The project moved MásRefund closer to a self-service model by delivering a functional mobile app and admin dashboard within a focused 14-week sprint.

• Asset Preservation: Despite strategic pauses, Blue People delivered comprehensive system architecture documentation and a functional integration codebase, securing the project's intellectual property for future roadmap activation.

• Brand Authority: The new digital platform transformed MásRefund’s presence, successfully positioning it as a professional, trustworthy advocate rather than just a utility service.

Enhanced User Confidence: The combination of accessible educational content and instant support tools significantly reduced the entry barriers for non-native filers.

Conclusion

The MásRefund project illustrates the complexity and ambition of building fintech solutions for underserved audiences. By tackling high-level engineering challenges—such as IRS integration and secure mobile architecture—alongside rigorous brand strategy, Blue People helped MásRefund define both its technical future and its public voice. The collaboration resulted in a documented, functional technical foundation and a live digital ecosystem ready to support the community.