[GNC] US Bans Free tax Software

[Michael or Penny Novack]

On 4/11/2019 11:14 AM, David Cousens wrote:
> Mike

>
> The problem I see for free software developers here is to register as a
> developer for the software, you have to be an existing business as you
> require a registration only available to an existing registered business.
> SDKs and APIs which appear to be written in C# are only available to the
> registered developers.
  Yes, I know little in detail about the laws of Britain or Australia. I 
do know that "more democratic" in the sense of not having  a defined 
constitution/bill of rights << yes, most of us think of a constitution 
as a good thing BUT it does limit the will of the majority -- it says 
that some things we DON'T decide by vote, etc. >>

On the other hand, I seriously doubt that the only "corporate entities" 
that are allowed are "for profit businesses".

In the US, an "entity", for profit or not has a "tax ID number" << EIN 
for a corporate entity, SS# for a human person. Thus the 501c3's that I 
keep books for have one << just because a non-profit doesn't PAY taxes 
doesn't mean it doesn't file anything, doesn't have to be identifiable 
to the tax people >>

In my working days, I worked for MassMutual Life Insurance and at least 
then we did software in house (it's what I did, design and write 
software). One of the worlds largest financials but technically not a 
"for profit business" << it is legally a "consumer co-op", owned by the 
policy holders >> Do you imagine that if MM applied (for what was being 
required to write this software) would be turned down because "not a for 
profit business".

I don't know the details of how the gnucash project is organized in the 
legal sense, but it is some kind of a non-profit entity.

Michael D Novack