A Modern Compiler for the French Tax Code

Re:A Modern Compiler for the French Tax Code by astrange on Monday January 30, 2023 @08:44PM (#34589735)

Laws (in the US anyway) are "ambiguous" because they can't be changed very often, so implementing regulations are left to the executive branch, and the judicial branch can edit either one however they feel like anyway and aren't programmers.

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Re:A Modern Compiler for the French Tax Code by quartesixte on Monday January 30, 2023 @09:15PM (#34590024)

Yeah I think the slight nuance that some people miss is that many of the regulations in place are interpretations and implementations of more ambiguous laws.

And they are updated quite frequently and implemented quite programmatically!

But the laws also remain ambiguous because the world is an ambiguous place with a lot of edge and corner cases with unforeseen knock on effects.

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Re:A Modern Compiler for the French Tax Code by bee_rider on Monday January 30, 2023 @11:17PM (#34590995)

Definitely agree. Having lawmakers micromanage everything would be a pain.

That said, one would hope

1) the tax code would be one of the least open-to-creative-interpretation parts of the system

2) the IRS equivalent could actually produce this code, rather than legislators

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Re:A Modern Compiler for the French Tax Code by astrange on Tuesday January 31, 2023 @06:51AM (#34593963)

I think the US actually has the preferable solution, which is that it's not a crime to do your taxes wrong. (Most people think it is.)

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