[lug] Escaping TurboTax to Open Source?

[Dhruva B. Reddy]

I wondered the same thing at one point.  Unlike you, however, I don't
mind uploading my financial data to a web-based app.  I did look for a
desktop application a few years ago, but found nothing.

You don't say whether you want to e-file or are willing to print out
your return and mail it in (I wanted to e-file).  I looked briefly into
what it takes to write tax prep software.  I don't think there's
anything that prevents writing open source software for this purpose,
but for e-filing, you do have to submit to a background check, etc.  I'm
guessing that such an undertaking would require forming some sort of
organization (like an NPO), as well as the services of an accountant
willing to volunteer their time.

My point is, writing open source tax prep software is not like writing
most open source software, just because of what's at stake.  Of course,
I can only speculate as to why this hasn't been done.

On Fri, 12 Jan 2007 at 08:43 -0700, Elyse M. Grasso soliloquized thusly:
> It's getting to be that time of year again... I've used TurboTax for nearly 10 
> years, but reports are that Intuit is getting farther and farther from 
> supporting opens source. 
> 
> I don't want to maintain a web-connected Windows box just to do my taxes. Last 
> year I tried using a VMWare windows image, but TurboTax refused to update 
> there, so I had to fire up an old Win2k box.
> 
> I don't want to upload my financial data to a web-based tax prep site.
> 
> Are there any tax prep options (with state support) that aren't so totally 
> locked into Windows?
> 
> Maybe I should go back to pencil and paper... my taxes this year should be 
> simpler than they have been for a the past few years.
> -- 
> Elyse Grasso
> 
> http://www.data-raptors.com    Computers and Technology
> http://www.astraltrading.com   Divination and Science Fiction
> http://www.data-raptors.com/global-cgi-bin/cgiwrap/emgrasso/blosxom.cgi WebLog
> _______________________________________________
> Web Page:  http://lug.boulder.co.us
> Mailing List: http://lists.lug.boulder.co.us/mailman/listinfo/lug
> Join us on IRC: lug.boulder.co.us portf67 channel=#colug