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Swiss Tax Office distributes Mozilla and OpenOffice
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.
This really doesn't change the fact that if we just had a more simple and less convoluted tax system, we wouldn't even need to worry about complex deductions, brackets, taxable income, credits, etc.
I'm not advocating a flat tax. Hell, I'm not even sure what I'm advocating, but if we had a more simple tax code, we wouldn't need to spend that money on tax software every year.
This brings up an interesting point though. Would the makers of Turbo Tax make a move like the RIAA and try to sue the government if we moved to a simple tax system people didn't need software for?
After all, it would technically be destroying their business model.
What I am imagining here is a system of XML files and XML document types that would have all the data that changes year to year as they update tax laws. This would make and OS tax program practical because you would just have to implement the generic software that uses this raw data, and you wouldn't need an army of tax lawyers and accountants to first digest the tax laws (and do this again each year). Most people would still use the commercial packages on the typical platforms, and this isn't even a guarantee that and OS version would emerge, but at least it would be possible.
A full OS reference platform might be nice too, but it isn't a requirement.
If many taxpayers are installing this software to file their taxes, then there definitely will be a few where the software doesn't install cleanly or well. Something used for this purpose definitely has to be "turnkey." I really hope that they have the bugs worked out of this process. They must have a lot of confidence in the software. I just know how many times I have been frustrated by relatively simple software that must be used to file a government form.
I had to pay $20 a week for 10 weeks to a drug rehabilitation program because I got caught with 2 grams of weed. This program had struck a deal with the state to get the courts to do this. I'm sick and tired of corporate welfare.
So just to get our story straight here, AOL sending out lots of unwanted CDs is bad, but the Swiss government sending out lots of CDs is good?
Actually, given the Swiss government's rabid stance on recycling (at one point the genevois were smuggling bags of garbage into France to avoid paying garbage tax), this whole project could be considered to be a form of stealth tax, ie they send you the CD, and if you don't dispose of it properly they fine you...
Virtually serving coffee
it does not compete.
in germany, there is a free government tax software, too. the difference between this and commercial software is that commercial software helps the user to pay less tax. the government software is just the same as tax sheets on plain paper.
"It's such a fine line between stupid and clever" -- David St. Hubbins, Spinal Tap
Okay---You're not gonna believe this one, but for 2 years running now, I've studiously worked out my taxes, mailed it all in, gotten my refund back and then received another check in the mail for the corrected adjustments the IRS figured themselves. Yeah- that's right--they didn't LET me overpay...how's that for odd...
Sig currently under construction. Mind the gap....
I don't think there's a Windows version currently, but if they're distributing OO and Mozilla, giving people a copy of GnuCash as well wouldn't hurt. Maybe it's not 'internationalized'?
creation science book
This has bugged me for the last few years.
It's in the government's INTEREST to have people file electronically. I cringe when I imagine the number of people working in Ottawa (I'm Canadian) just doing DATA ENTRY, never mind auditing/reviewing of our returns. I have no idea how many people or how long it takes or how many tons of mail are involved, but I'm pretty sure it's better for _everyone_ (well, maybe not the aforementioned data entry people) to provide free electronic filing software.
Nothing like wasting tax money to unnecessarily process tax returns. =)
On the other hand, unlike other businesses, you don't have a choice to not "do business" with the government by not paying your taxes. It seems lame for them to create the burden on the public and then force us to rely on third parties to comply with them.
The IRS certainly has sufficient expertise to create and maintain income tax software. I really think it's something that they should be doing.
Also, there's an issue of accountability. Supposing a major error was found in a highly popular tax prep package, which caused people to file inaccurately. I don't know what sort of guarantees the vendors make, but one thing that they can't say is that the IRS would honor the inaccurate evaluation. With the IRS as the vendor, the taxpayers might have greater assurances.
I believe that the government has a duty to make it as easy to comply with tax laws as humanly possible, and I'm heavily in favor of anything that accomplishes that goal. Whether that means creating helpful software or simplifying the tax code itself, such simplifications make life easier on hundreds of millions of people.
You want the truthiness? You can't handle the truthiness!