Re:UsTaxes – open-source tax filing web application
by zamadatix on Thursday July 29, 2021 @10:36PM
(#28003856)
> Starting by not using a dynamically typed language, IMHO
This is written in TypeScript.
As with most everything the problems with why it hasn't been done are unrelated to someone not selecting the "right" language to do it in.
> Actually, that's also an interesting question: surely the IRS doesn't rely on an army of people with calculators and pencils to verify said returns, so I wonder if a well placed FOIA request would cough up their COBOL source code they use?
As mentioned is has to do with lobbying from the major tax companies. The "Free File" program was created out of an agreement the IRS wouldn't create such software usable by folks if the tax companies offered their existing software to most that needed it. https://www.propublica.org/article/inside-turbotax-20-year-f...
This is written in TypeScript.
As with most everything the problems with why it hasn't been done are unrelated to someone not selecting the "right" language to do it in.
> Actually, that's also an interesting question: surely the IRS doesn't rely on an army of people with calculators and pencils to verify said returns, so I wonder if a well placed FOIA request would cough up their COBOL source code they use?
As mentioned is has to do with lobbying from the major tax companies. The "Free File" program was created out of an agreement the IRS wouldn't create such software usable by folks if the tax companies offered their existing software to most that needed it. https://www.propublica.org/article/inside-turbotax-20-year-f...