e-tax 2012 on Mac and Linux FOI

Applicant Details

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Description of Documents

Access requested: Photocopies

This freedom of information request is for the complete source code of the e-tax 2012 computer program. Any encryption keys or passwords should be redacted.

Source code is defined as “...any collection of computer instructions (possibly with comments) written using some human-readable computer language...” [1]

An encryption key is defined as “...a piece of information (a parameter) that determines the functional output of a cryptographic algorithm or cipher.” [2]

A password is defined as “a secret word or string of characters that is used for authentication, to prove identity or gain access to a resource.” [3]

Background

The purpose of this freedom of information request is to improve interoperability between e-tax and non-Windows operating systems (such as Apple Mac OS X and Linux). There is no intention of modifying the e-tax software or interfacing directly to ATO servers.

Australia has one of the highest rates of tax agent usage in the world [4]. Enabling the 7-14% [5] of computer users who use a Mac or Linux to use etax would be helpful in lowering this figure.

In addition the tax commissioner announced in 2007 the ATO were developing a cross-platform version. "Looking even further ahead we will redevelop e-tax to make it compatible with any computer system that has internet access." [6] I am trying to help the Australian people and the ATO by doing this patch in my spare time.

UPDATE: e-tax 2012 on Mac and Linux FOI Part 2

References

1. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Source_code
2. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Encryption_key
3. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Password
4. http://www.news.com.au/money/money-matters/most-australians-still-use-tax-agent/story-e6frfmd9-1225845045302
5. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Usage_share_of_operating_systems#Web_clients
6. http://www.ato.gov.au/corporate/content.aspx?doc=/content/83847.htm

       

Pillars of Social Justice

Universal healthcare is a fundamental pillar of social justice. If someone is too sick to work, then how can they obtain the money to pay for treatment, so they can get better, so they can work again? Without universal healthcare there is a catch-22 situation.

Similarly free or low-cost education is a critical pillar of social justice. I am talking about vocational training or practical training, as much as school or university. Again this prevents a catch-22 situation. If a job requires education and that education is expensive, then how is someone going to get that education? They need a job to get education to get a job.

The biggest other pillar of social justice is fair work conditions.This includes a fair day's pay for a fair day's work but also includes factors such as work safety, control and stability. Worker's compensation is particularly important: if the employer is making a few extra dollars here and there by unsafe working conditions, then it makes sense that the employer should pay if an employee is injured. This is the case even if the employer did not condone the unsafe activity.

Book Review - Tao Te Ching

I was a little disappointed in the translation of this book. I can see the brilliance that is in the original but it is burdened by a fairly unpoetic translation. The positive side is that this translation is very accessible. The introduction gave an example of an "academic" translation and Star's-style of translation. Although the academic translation was harder to read, it showed the poetry of the original much more accurately.

What I would like to read is an annotated version of the academic translation.


Title: Tao Te Ching
ISBN: 9781585426188
Author: Laozi. Translated by Jonathon Star
Rating: 3/5