Re: [lp-ca-on] Proposed Proof of Concept Tax Calculation

[Greg Knittl]

Hi Stephen,

http://www.cra-arc.gc.ca/esrvc-srvce/tx/bsnss/crpnt/sftwr-eng.html 
Testing time frames gives some idea of the schedule. The paper/PDF forms 
are usually available around the beginning of January so I doubt the 
developers get much of a jump on everyone else.
The limit of 20 returns per computer could be interesting - I'm fine 
with coding that but we have to give the user access to the source to 
change it so I can see the CRA using this as an excuse to deny free 
software solutions... We may have to start with paper filing while we 
fight the battles to open up the CRA's interfaces.

Yes, the constant changes to the calculations are why my intuition is 
that the tax calculations have to be externalized as some kind of 
formula language so the changes can be crowd sourced. Perhaps it could 
be Prolog statements that get compiled into a Prolog program. It could 
also be R, bash, some spreadsheet formula language, I don't have strong 
opinion yet. There needs to be a way for people to contribute back 
partial updates to those portions of the logic they use, which might 
only be a subset of the calculations on a form - github? At some point 
would have to take a branch and try and certify it...

My feeling is that if we can get crowdsourcing the tax calculations to 
work we have a good chance of displacing the commercial software. We 
might not conquer the mass market first but if we can get accountants 
with more complex calculations to start contributing perhaps we could 
become the reference implementation and there would be pressure on the 
CRA to accommodate us. /end daydream.

We can't be the first to struggle with these issues. I wonder what our 
friends in the States are doing... Anyone care to contact Libre Planet US?

Greg


On 16-06-05 11:09 AM, Stephen Paul Weber wrote:
> Of course the biggest hurdle for the tax *calculation* part is that it changes 
> every year and so needs constant updating to be useful.
>
> I wonder if authorised vendors get access to the forms ahead of time in order 
> to have the software ready by tax time...‎