[NTLUG:Discuss] [Fwd: Tax filing in Linux? How-to...]

[Kevin Brannen]

Greg Edwards wrote:

> Kevin Brannen wrote:
>
>>
>> Yep.  One of things preventing me from dumping my MS OS is 
>> Quickbooks.  I sort of solved that by running it under VMware.  For a 
>> little extra money, I could dump QB totally by hiring my accountant 
>> to do my books for me, but I'm "cheap", especially when my accounting 
>> needs are so small. :-)  OTOH, that may become a reality as Intuit 
>> has ticked me off for the last time with all their shenanigans in 
>> Quickbooks 2004.  I plan to never buy another version of QB as long 
>> as I live.  My tax account would be happy if I switched to Peachtree; 
>> alas, they have no Linux version either (so VMware would have to stay 
>> on my system for that).
>>
>> Kevin
>
> ...
> Desktop publishing, accounting, and games (for Home) are the only 
> reasons that I have any M$ workstations.  JMHO, unless Intuit, 
> peripheral manufacturers, and game builders decide to support Linux 
> whole heartedly, folks will need 2 systems (or dual boot) if they want 
> Linux.  Since most people are not able to run a network, or only have 
> 1 computer, Linux will not be choice #1.


I agree.  It's easy to forget that most of us on this list are "not 
normal" :-) in that we're advanced users.  Many of us have multiple 
computers, home networks, work in the computer field (many times at 
companies with lots of hardware & software), and also work with 
leading/bleeding edge stuff.  Yeh, not all of us, but at least many of 
the regular posters I read here do.  Alas, we're but a small fraction of 
the market.

> Reality is that Intuit is top dog in their world, so everyone will 
> follow their lead.  Game builders and hardware manufacturers are not 
> interested in Linux because of the open source issue.  When it comes 
> to drivers the OSS community can't keep up.  We as a community need to 
> figure out a happy medium so that the video, printer, scanner, DVD, 
> etc. manufacturers will build the drivers for Linux that provide the 
> same functionality as Windows, in the same time frame.  This 
> "absolute" requirement that some have to open source is keeping a 
> muzzle on Linux for the desktop.


I'll agree with that too.  However, :-) I think the work that's been 
done with the PCMCIA network cards where it takes an MS driver and uses 
that code as the Linux driver (sorry, I can't remember the name of it or 
who did it) is really very cool.  Also, if we in the Linux community 
could do that for some of the other hardware, much of the hardware 
compatibility problems we face would go away.  That still doesn't mean 
that app producers would suddenly port their stuff to Linux, but it 
should make it just that much easier.

In my perfect world, ;-) Linux would have 20-30% of the desktop market 
and that's it.  Enough that HW & SW producers have to release major 
products that work for Linux, but it's not so mainstream that every 
"clueless user" uses it.  To look at it another way, enough market share 
that MS has to be competive again and make decent [read secure] products.

> I got real tired of Peachtree's annual $$$ bite for upgrades.  The 
> cost vs benefit factor gets tilted in their favor quickly.  What they 
> do is tie their payroll tax tables into the upgrades so your tables 
> are out of date if you don't upgrade.  But, as I did, you can figure 
> out how to manually update the tables.


Intuit does the same thing.  In fact, I had QB working just fine, then 
as of Feb. 15th of last year, they auto turned off tax calculation 
because I hadn't bought a yearly subscription service!  My tax tables 
were just fine, but they turned them off anyway forcing me to do manual 
calculations.  Did I make any errors?  Yep, got slapped with a $10 fine 
from the IRS too.  I'm not bothered by the loss of the $10, but I'm 
infuriated with QB for putting me in the position where I can make easy 
mistakes like that which I would not have had if they hadn't turned off 
the tax calculations just because I didn't pay them their "protection 
money".  GRRR!

> What problems did you have with QB?  I switched from Peachtree to QB 
> last year.  Intuit's approach to having a tax product that can pull 
> your data from your regular accounting package is what sold me on 
> trying QB.  I'm real tired of digging out the details just to fill out 
> the forms each year.


They put advertisements for their services on every (yes I do mean 
*every*) page that is not a detailed pop-up, and there is no way to turn 
them off.  They also have pop-ups from time-to-time that you have to 
click OK (ack) to continue with your work which are also ads.  They are 
missing some basic accounting features (and I have the Pro version not 
the Basic version) such as closing your books at the end of the year, 
exporting your reports so you can use them with the next version, etc. 
that my tax accountant insists any decent accounting package should have 
(and my tax accountant is VERY GOOD so I trust her judgement on 
statements like that).  If you want any of that stuff, you have to buy 
their Premier version, which is an extra $200 more (we're talking $500 
for the Premier version).  (You obviously get more than just those few 
features I named, but those are the only other ones from it I need.)  
Actually, the Basic version of QB should be good enough for me, except 
that it doesn't have time based invoicing, so I had to buy the Pro 
version which was $200 more than the Basic version.  There's a whole 
host of other more minor problems I have with the product, but I'll stop 
there. :-)

> We probably should take this off list.


Yeh, we should, but I did want to let people know that Intuit and 
especially QB is not the wonderful solution it's advertised to be.  
After all, I know there are other people here who have their own small 
business (or may be thinking about it) and I'd like to spare them the 
pain and hassle I've had with QB.  Make your tax accountant happy, get 
Peachtree instead.  Lobby Peachtree to do a Linux version.  In fact, I 
think I'll go do that now. :-)

Kevin