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Swiss Tax Office distributes Mozilla and OpenOffice

Posted by CowboyNeal on from the taxman-downloadeth dept.

David Gerard writes "From Heise (via Mozillazine: taxpayers in the Swiss canton of Geneva are being given a CD with a French version of Mozilla 1.2.1, OpenOffice.org 1.0.1 and tax program GEtax 2002. Rough English translation from Google." This strikes me as a really cool idea. I already get the cards that tell me to file online rather than fill out paper forms, but it still forces me to buy tax software every year.

15 of 186 comments (clear)

  1. Re:For which platforms? by willll · · Score: 5, Informative

    according to the babelfish translation: "OpenOffice.org 1,0,1 in French for Windows and Linux as well as the Webbrowser Mozilla 1,2,1 in French for Windows, Linux and Mac OS X."

  2. tax program GEtax 2002 by SonOfSengaya · · Score: 5, Informative

    It's nice to see that the tax program is also available for Linux and Mac OS 9 + X
    http://www.getax.ch/dyn/ledossier.php?id_rubrique= 18

    --
    My spirit takes a journey through my mind...
  3. Cool! by sepluv · · Score: 5, Informative
    Giving out tax software is of course a very helpful and good thing and all governments should do it. It would be pretty cheap for governments to do (almost free when they have made the software). It also means that there is an offical, piece of software which uses the correct methods (and no arguments).

    I am not sure what platforms the actual GETax program is available on and whether it is open source - IMO as offical software given out by the government it should be.

    Mozilla and OpenOffice are, of course, really great additions, and should bring the wonders of good open source software to the public there (and a standards-compliant browser that actualy works and doesn't live in the Dark Ages)(although I guess people there are probably already quite open-minded).

    If only the governments of other MEDC's would start doing this kind of thing (and werent in collusion with M$). It would be a start if they could start storing personal data we entrust them with in non-prorietary formats on open-source OS's - doing anything else seems crazy in a democratic society.

    Kudos to the Swiss (who tend to be a more sensible European government). Also

    --
    Joe Llywelyn Griffith Blakesley
    [This post is in the public domain (copyright-free) unless otherwise stated]
  4. Re:For which platforms? by maan · · Score: 2, Informative

    I can't find the maillist post anymore, but I remember reading that it was for at least linux and windows. Not sure about Mac.

    Also, the tax software itself is in java, and known to run in windows and linux. So I guess there's a possibility that it can run on mac too.

    Maan

  5. Re:Not quite on topic, but... by Ryne · · Score: 2, Informative

    ehm, where have you been?
    http://slashdot.org/search.pl?op=stories&autho r=4

  6. Free Online Tax Filing by flyingV · · Score: 5, Informative

    There is a list of places to file online for free (or a small fee) right from the IRS website.

    http://www.irs.gov/app/freeFile/jsp/index.jsp?

    I, for one, am trying out Free Tax USA.

  7. (slightly) better translation from a human being by zztzed · · Score: 4, Informative
    Hopefully this will make more sense than the Google translation. :P
    Swiss revenue office distributes OpenOffice and Mozilla

    The revenue office of the Swiss canton of Genf is furnishing all taxpayers who are "natural persons" in the canton with a CD for electronically filing their tax returns for 2002. Along with the tax return program GEtax 2002, which was developed in connection with DV Bern AG, open source programs like OpenOffice 1.0.1 in French for Windows and Linux as well as the web browser Mozilla 1.2.1 in French for Windows, Linux and Mac OS X can be found on the CD.

    With this, the government of Genf is one of the first governments worldwide to provide its citizens with open source products. OpenOffice.org contains, among other things, a word processor, a spreadsheet, presentation software, and Zeichenprogramm [I have no idea what that means. "character program"?]. The web suite Mozilla 1.2.1 includes a web browser, and email and chat clients, as well as an HTML editor.
  8. Re:(slightly) better translation from a human bein by dunkelfalke · · Score: 2, Informative

    it is german for drawing software. open office draw then.

    --
    "It's such a fine line between stupid and clever" -- David St. Hubbins, Spinal Tap
  9. Re:Not quite on topic, but... by leomekenkamp · · Score: 3, Informative

    Never visited his website?

    --
    Wenn ist das Nunstueck git und Slotermeyer? Ja! Beiherhund das Oder die Flipperwaldt gersput.
  10. The canton of Berne, too. by de+la+mettrie · · Score: 5, Informative

    The Swiss canton of Berne has been distributing the TaxMe Software for two years now. It's a Java app, so it runs on any OS. You fill in the tax data, it creates PDF tax forms for you to print out and sign. Or you can even do it all online through a web interface, using the ID/password printed on the physical forms everyone gets by mail. Very slick.

  11. Buy software?? by aka.Daniel'Z · · Score: 5, Informative

    but it still forces me to buy tax software every year.

    Buy software? Here in Brazil, we can download the software from Receita Federal for free, and send them the information online, or go to the nearest Banco do Brasil and give them a floppy disk (for those that don't want / can't send online)

  12. Re:so where is the French Mozilla 1.2.1? by ramdam · · Score: 4, Informative

    Here it is
    but the localisation for 1.2.1 version is still experimental.
    woah, Swiss gov is it running a mass beta-testing of OSS on mundane people ?
    I hope they have included a simple feedback application too

  13. The swedish government by Jugalator · · Score: 2, Informative

    Hopefully, the swedish government will start switching soon as well. :-) There's been quite a bit of talk about it lately, so at least they seem to give it some serious consideration.

    --
    Beware: In C++, your friends can see your privates!
  14. UK Self Assessment by Tanami · · Score: 3, Informative

    In the UK the self assessment tax form can now be completed entirely on-line (not sure how long this has been the case - last year was the first time I needed to complete one).

    It will even calculate the tax and national insurance constributions owed.

    Can't say I like paying tax (or more specifically, the way it is spent), but they certainly made it pretty straightforward.

    As a corollary to the above however, I believe you have zero chance of using any of the british governments online services if you don't have Microsoft's Java VM - which is a bit of a bugger if you use Linux, or it recent enlightenments, have XP SP1a!

  15. Poor v rich by mgkimsal2 · · Score: 2, Informative

    I think it was Dick Armey's proposal from a few years ago that income under $30k not be taxed, and everything over that be taxed at 10% (or maybe 15%?)

    I really don't see how 'the rich' (great label there) would pay *less* than they do now. Not much to hide behind when it's basic math that a 10 year old should be able to do.

    You made $200,000 last year? Pay $17,000 (10% of $170,000).

    Why is that so hard or evil?

    'The poor' wouldn't pay anything. Someone earning $50,000 would pay $2,000. What's wrong with that?

    Also, what is seldom pointed out is that *activity* is taxed. Money sitting under my bed isn't taxed, but when I transfer it to someone else (purchase/gift) that activity is taxed. More money in people's pockets means they will engage in more activity, which is what is taxed.

    --
    creation science book