Re: [lp-ca-on] Netfile Application Thoughts

[Bob Jonkman]

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I spoke with Paul Young of Canadian Accounting Services, which does
tax preparation. Paul thinks that if we were to provide an online web
service for filing, we'd have to register as Netfile filing agents as
well as developers.

Either way, any software we produce would have to be certified by the
CRA, which needs some assurances that the product that gets used to
file taxes is the same product that was certified. That seems to be at
odds with Freedoms 2 and 3, the freedom to make modifications and the
freedom to distribute those modifications.

I suspect our energies are better directed towards lobbying the
government to adopt more Free Software for its own use (office
administration, accounting, &c.)

About incorporation: SOBAC Microcomputer Services is incorporated as
"9024816 Canada Incorporated".  I would be willing to file the
application, but then there's the issue of who actually does the work.
 What other contractual obligations will the CRA application impose?
Would you all need to become employees? Bad news, SOBAC doesn't pay well.

- --Bob.


On 2016-07-07 03:26 PM, Greg Knittl wrote:
> The CRA declined the unincorporated association. I doubt Libre
> Planet Ontario can manage incorporation by the 15th. We have to
> apply individually, likely as sole proprietors unless you are
> incorporated. We can change the product name later, it's not
> important to get started. It might even be best for anyone that
> wants to apply to pick their own name that's distinct from the
> overall Libre Planet project name. I would probably call mine
> something like Greg's Free/Libre Canadian Tax Software
> 
> Filling out the initial application is fairly easy. Getting
> accepted may be an issue. Getting certified looks like a major
> effort, with some philosophical issues to iron out with the CRA
> such as the 20 return limit.
> 
> I am not a lawyer but I think the initial application doesn't bind
> one to a whole lot. If we get accepted, then the Non-Disclosure
> Agreement would be a more binding step and we would each have the
> option of declining the NDS and stopping there. If the NDS affects
> one's ability to work on the base, uncertified software that might
> be a reason to decline the NDS. On the other hand the CRA probably
> has a lot of information that would speed up work on the
> uncertified base software such as lists of field names and how they
> are formatted. The test cases would be helpful even if we don't get
> certified.
> 
> What do you think? Is anyone else considering applying? I think it
> would be good for multiple people to apply in case we hit issues
> with the NDS that knock out some of the initial applicants.
> 
> Greg
> 
> 
> 
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