easy Tax handling in GnuCash (was: THIS IS A DRAFT; State of ...)

[C. Gatzemeier]

Hi,

Michael, am not using it, but if I don't mix up something here, Gnucash 
allready has some kind of Tax support with a "Tax" Box to mark in Bills an 
Invoices, and some Tax tables.
The Help Menu has some more Information about that.

> Quoting Derek Atkins <warlord at MIT.EDU>:
> > Michael Hall <ninti at ninti.com> writes:
> > > Before I proceed with contributing to the GnuCash project, I would like
> >
> > to
> >
> > > determine if there is any likelihood of modules or whatever being
> > > developed
> >
> > to
> >
> > > handle GST/VAT type taxes in a straight forward manner (no splits,
> > > etc).
> >
> > Is
> >
> > > anyone working on this area at the moment?
> >
> > It HAS to be handled as splits.  That's the ONLY way it can be done.
> > Otherwise there is no way to map the GST to a specific Transaction.
> > Having said that, at this point nobody has stepped up to offer to
> > implement a more integrated GST system.  I personally have no plans to
> > do this (without some big incentive).
> >
> > What we've got now _can_ handle it.  It just isn't the
> > easiest/prettiest.  I suspect a few extra dialog/druids to help users
> > set it up, and then a report to clean up at the end, would solve 95%
> > of the problems I think there are.
> >
> > > I would like a solution within say six months
> >
> > And I'd like a pony....  This is a volunteer effort.  If you don't
> > like what you get, I'll give you triple your money back!
> >
> > >     ... if I could write C and Scheme
> > > i would start myself today. I would certainly be willing to help in
> >
> > whatever way
> >
> > > possible on such a project.
> >
> > Well, find someone who can?
> >
> > > I would appreciate any comments re where GnuCash is going with GST,
> >
> > because
> >
> > > other than its lack of direct support for GST, GnuCash is a great
> > > product.
> >
> > It's
> >
> > > funny, I have consistently avoided anything related to finance and
> >
> > accounting
> >
> > > all my life, but now see it as the number one priority to advance the
> >
> > uptake of
> >
> > > Linux in small business and the wider community.
> >
> > If it were implemented cleanly I'd gladly apply the patches, but
> > frankly I just don't see what needs to be done.  A druid to help you
> > set up the tax tables, and a report to give you the quarterly/yearly
> > GST report...  What else do you need?
> >
> > > Mick
> >
> > -derek


Am Dienstag, 4. November 2003 06:57 schrieb Michael Hall:
> Derek:
>
> Thankyou for your patience. I was certainly not intending to sound like I
> was demanding a solution in six months ... the operative words were a
> wishful "would like". I appreciate that GnuCash is a volunteer effort and
> recognise that an enormous amount of great work has been done already.
>
> What I meant was that I would be happy to work (alone or as part of a
> group) for six months to nail this GST thing (ie, making it easy and pretty
> ... a 'no-brainer' if you like) if there was any interest in such a project
> or likelihood of it happening.
>
> Splits may be the only way to do GST, but all the commercial packages here
> in Australia just have a check box marked GST, then all amounts entered
> while the box is checked are processed for GST automatically. We only have
> two rates (0 and 10 percent) so it is pretty straight forward. I have
> something that simple in mind. It might use splits behind the scenes, but
> the user never has to think about it.
>
> Anyway, considering my skill set I think contributing to a web-based
> solution might be a quicker way of achieving my goal of being able to say
> to clients "Yes, Linux will do your GST" with no ifs or buts. The client
> machines I have in mind will be attached to a Linux network server anyway.
>
> Sorry, but I am just keen to get working and trying to work out where my
> effort is best spent. GST is a real log-jam in the adoption of Linux by
> small business in Australia.
>
> Mick
>