TaxGeek - Alpha Testing Tax Software For Linux

The lack of competitive open source tax software is holding Linux back. TaxGeek is one effort to become a viable GNU/Linux Tax Software solution and the project is Alpha testing.

TaxGeek is heavily PDF based so that you can print and complete various forms and submit them to the IRS. The developer notes TaxGeek might help you “if your life is not too complicated“.

If the TaxGeek developers are one thing, it’s honest. The developer also points out “If you have a ton of money riding on finding all the right loopholes and getting everything 100% perfect, buy a tax program or use an accountant”.

There is no e-filing with TaxGeek as of yet, but that could change with better cooperation from the IRS and more demand on the part of users. TaxGeek documents the IRS postion that has stunted Open Source development for tax software. In a response to an email sent from the developers to the IRS about third party e-filing, the IRS responded:

The government believes that private industry, given its established expertise and experience in the field of electronic tax preparation, has a proven track record in providing the best technology and services available. In addition, the government believes a partnership with private industry will: provide taxpayers with higher quality services by using the existing expertise of the private sector; maximize consumer choice; promote competition within the marketplace; and meet objectives in the least costly manner to taxpayers.

We hope the above information will prove helpful to you.

Sincerely,

The IRS Website Support Team

So if you refuse to boot your Windows partition to do your taxes each year, take a look at TaxGeek and give them some feedback to help the project along.