Re: Tax software (was Re: my answers to questions)
On Wed, Mar 07, 2001 at 11:39:07AM +1100, Brian May wrote:
> >>>>> "Chris" == Chris Lawrence <lawrencc@debian.org> writes:
>
> Chris> On Mar 06, Bdale Garbee wrote:
> >> It's less clear to me that there will ever be an Open Source
> >> tax preparation program that can handle my needs. Our tax
> >> codes are ridiculously complex and change every year... and my
> >> tax situation is complicated. Given the cost and complexity of
> >> working with a professional tax preparer, and the potential
> >> cost of a calculation failure if it results in an IRS audit,
> >> I'm willing to continue paying a modest amount for a
> >> proprietary program to perform this function every year. It
> >> would be nicer if there were one that ran on Linux, of
> >> course...
>
> Yes. It is clear that some categories of software just may never be
> available in open source format :-(
This may be a pessimistic view. I can see advantages to an open
source tax program (for example, it could be maintained openly by a
development team containing several tax accountants, and possibly even
someone from the IRS on the mailing list), it's just a question of
'when'...
>
> As a pilot, another application which never will be possible in open
> source format is flight planning software. While the basic stuff is
> simple maths (and I am slowly writing that much myself), if you want
> to overlay it on the map with controlled airspace marked, this is not
> possible in an open source project. This is because you are legally
> required (at least in Australia, it is probably similar in other
> countries) to use the official maps, and the official maps are
> copyright and not licensed to be freely distributed.
But it's not beyond hope that the maps be, sometime in the future,
licensed for free distribution (allowing them a place in 'non-free').
In the UK, I /think/ that the ordance survey maps are indeed crown
copyright, and hence freely distributable, but that might be wrong.
Jules
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