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Preparing Income Taxes on Linux

• Preparing Income Taxes on Linux
  • Slide 1: Greetings
  • Slide 2: Acknowledgements
  • Slide 3: Outline
  • Slide 4: Introductions 1
  • Slide 5: Introductions 1a
  • Slide 6: Introductions 1b
  • Slide 7: Introductions 1c
  • Slide 8: Introductions 2.0
  • Slide 9: Introductions 2.1
  • Slide 10: Introductions 2.1a
  • Slide 11: Introductions 2.1b
  • Slide 12: Introductions 2.1c
  • Slide 13: Introductions 2.2
  • Slide 14: Introductions 2.3
  • Slide 15: Introductions 2.3a
  • Slide 16: Introductions 2.3b
  • Slide 17: Introductions 2.3c
  • Slide 18: Introductions 2.3d
  • Slide 19: Introductions 2.4
  • Slide 20: Why Linux?
  • Slide 21: 4 Approaches to Preparaing Taxes on Linux
  • Slide 22: Native Linux Applications I
  • Slide 23: Native Linux Applications II
  • Slide 24: WINE -- A Win API for Linux
  • Slide 25: Virtual Machines I
  • Slide 26: Virtual Machines II
  • Slide 27: Linux Browsers
  • Slide 28: Finale
  • Slide 29: Resources

Begin Presentation

Slide 1: Greetings

Slide 2: Acknowledgements

• Josh Jackson -- essential research
• Robert Carlile -- special research
• HLUG Members (various) -- tax prep poll answers
• HLUG Saturday SIG -- this time slot
• HAL-PC -- sponsoring this event
• Directron -- door prizes

Slide 3: Outline

• 1 hour targeted running time
• Introductions - myself
  • 3 sparse slides & an outline
  • Fast, most of you know me
• Introductions - yourselves
  • Many of you have done my audience polls before
• Why Linux?
• 4 Approaches
  1. Native Linux Application
  2. WINE
  3. Virtual Machine
  4. Linux Browser
• Summary
• Short Break
• Questions
  Please try to hold your Q's 'til the end

Slide 4: Introductions 1

Who am I? (3 slides)

• HAL Activities
• Computer Experience
• Income Tax Preparing Experience

Slide 5: Introductions 1a

• HAL Activities
  • Member since 2001
  • BoD Member since 2005
  • Current V. P. Programs
  • SIG Leader
    • Linux Workshop
    • Samba & Network Admin
  • Volunteer Help Committee
    • Linux
    • Opera
    • Batch Files

Slide 6: Introductions 1b

• Computer Experience
  • 1964 College -- Programming, IBM 7040/7094
  • 1968 Army
  • 1970's Income Tax Office -- "In search of"
  • 1980's CP/M & MS DOS
  • 1990's MS "Winders"
  • 2001 began Linux
  • 2005 exclusively Linux

Slide 7: Introductions 1c

• Income Tax Preparing Experience
  • 14 years full-time 1971 - 1985
  • Mass., Vermont, Texas
  • 10 years in H. R. Block system
  • 7 years as City Franchise owner
  • Used TurboTax almost from its beginning
  • Always looking for automation

Slide 8: Introductions 2.0

Who are you?
   By show of hands, who has ...

Please wait the the Questions,

Raise your hand if one applies,

& Keep your hand up until the next question

Thank you!

Slide 9: Introductions 2.1

Who are you?
   By show of hands, who has ...

• Filed an Income Tax Return?

Slide 10: Introductions 2.1a

Who are you?
   By show of hands, who has ...

• Filed an Income Tax Return, prepared ...
  • by hand?

Slide 11: Introductions 2.1b

Who are you?
   By show of hands, who has ...

• Filed an Income Tax Return, prepared ...
  • by hand?
  • by computer?

Slide 12: Introductions 2.1c

Who are you?
   By show of hands, who has ...

• Filed an Income Tax Return, prepared ...
  • by hand?
  • by computer?
  • by a paid preparer?

Slide 13: Introductions 2.2

Who are you?
   By show of hands, who has ...

• Filed an Income Tax Return, prepared ...
  • by hand?
  • by computer?
  • by a paid preparer?
    
• Used Linux?

Slide 14: Introductions 2.3

Who are you?
   By show of hands, who has ...

• Filed an Income Tax Return, prepared ...
  • by hand?
  • by computer?
  • by a paid preparer?
    
• Used Linux?
• Used a Microsoft® Operating System:

Slide 15: Introductions 2.3a

Who are you?
   By show of hands, who has ...

• Filed an Income Tax Return, prepared ...
  • by hand?
  • by computer?
  • by a paid preparer?
    
• Used Linux?
• Used a Microsoft® Operating System:
  • Vista?

Slide 16: Introductions 2.3b

Who are you?
   By show of hands, who has ...

• Filed an Income Tax Return, prepared ...
  • by hand?
  • by computer?
  • by a paid preparer?
    
• Used Linux?
• Used a Microsoft® Operating System:
  • Vista?
  • XP?

Slide 17: Introductions 2.3c

Who are you?
   By show of hands, who has ...

• Filed an Income Tax Return, prepared ...
  • by hand?
  • by computer?
  • by a paid preparer?
    
• Used Linux?
• Used a Microsoft® Operating System:
  • Vista?
  • XP?
  • W2k?

Slide 18: Introductions 2.3d

Who are you?
   By show of hands, who has ...

• Filed an Income Tax Return, prepared ...
  • by hand?
  • by computer?
  • by a paid preparer?
    
• Used Linux?
• Used a Microsoft® Operating System:
  • Vista?
  • XP?
  • W2k?
  • Win 9x?

Slide 19: Introductions 2.4

Who are you?
   By show of hands, who has ...

• Filed an Income Tax Return, prepared ...
  • by hand?
  • by computer?
  • by a paid preparer?
• Used Linux?
• Used a Microsoft® Operating System:
  • Vista?
  • XP?
  • W2k?
  • Win 9x?
• Cursed Bill Gates?

Slide 20: Why Linux?

Why Linux, especially for Income Tax Preparation?

• Cost
  • Usually $0 -- no money
  • Learning Curve
• Security
      -- Microsoft® products are believed to have:
  • More flaws
  • Longer times unpatched
  • Shorter useful lives
• Reliability
  • Open Source, standards, protocols
  • More developers ("Many eyes make all bugs trivial")
• Freedom
  • No lock-in to one supplier
  • Are monopolies Un-American?

Slide 21: 4 Approaches to Preparaing Taxes on Linux

1. Native Linux Applications
2. WINE -- A Win API for Linux
3. Virtual Machines
4. Linux Browsers

Slide 22: Native Linux Applications I

Surprisingly, there are some:

• Taxgeek -- http://taxgeek.sourceforge.net/

• Practical Tax -- http://www.linuxtax.com/
  • Practical Tax the Tenforty Project (PT/1040)
    http://tenforty.sourceforge.net/

• OpenTaxSolver (OTS) -- http://opentaxsolver.sourceforge.net/

• Tax Code Software (Tax Code) -- http://www.taxcodesoftware.org/default.asp

Slide 23: Native Linux Applications II

Although promising & full of hope,
     none is "ready for prime time" & the average user.

Name	UI	Cost	License	Download
OTS	GUI	free	GPL	yes
Taxgeek	GUI	free	GPL	old
PT/1040	GUI ?	free	GPL	no
Tax Code	unknown	free	MPL	no

Slide 24: WINE -- A Win API for Linux

"WINE Is Not an Emulator",
but everyone thinks of it as one anyway

• Why WINE?
  • No MS issues:
    • Money
    • Security
    • Privacy
    • Liberty
  • No Learning curve for a new, native, application

Pending the the development of user-friendly native applications,
the most nearly open source method.

Package	Report
TaxAct	"Promising"
TaxCut	"No"
TurboTax	"No Way"

The Tax Preparation software must still be purchased.

Slide 25: Virtual Machines I

One OS (guest) running inside another (host), using special software

• Win4Lin (Commercial)
  • Fallen out of favor, eclipsed by
• VMware (Commercial)
  • Main market: Enterprise & Servers
  • 0-cost product ideal for home use: VMware Server
• VirtualBox (Commercial & Community)
  • Liberal ("eternal") license for home & academia
  • or completely free Open Source version
• Others
  • see Wikipedia Comparison of virtual machines

Must have a copy of both OS's

Slide 26: Virtual Machines II

• Advantages
  • Easy
  • "Virtually" guaranteed to work
  • Linux forms a security sheild
• Disadvantages
  • Cost
  • Speed
  • Lock-in

Slide 27: Linux Browsers

On the surface this is a trivial solution.

However, there are still compatibility issues:

• MS IE is not normally a Linux browser
• Many sites cater to IE
• Best bets (MS versions also)
  • Firefox
  • Opera
• Linux specific
  • Konqueror (KDE)
  • Galeon (Gnome)

Slide 28: Finale

Thank you for listening

Take 8, & then it's your turn

Slide 29: Resources

How to find this presentation on the web

• 2 words & 1 link
  • "twiki"
  • "HLUG"
  • twiki.hlug.org

How to contact me

• linux@hal-pc.org
• vp-programs@hal-pc.org
• RickArchibald@hal-pc.org

HLUG/HAL-PC Weekly Linux Workshop
every Wednesday HAL is open, 6-9pm
informal -- no class, no lecture