Accounting and Tax Applications

Hi Folks,

One of the primary reasons I have not switched to Linux is the lack of accounting and tax software for home user. After about six years of waiting there appears to be some hope.

GnuCash appears to handle most of the accounting needs of a home user but I'm skeptical how well it handles on-line banking (uploading and downloading transactions to/from a bank account) with Bank of America for example. I do not want to code, convert or otherwise jump through hoops to get on-line banking to work with GnuCash. I can not find much documentation on on-line banking capabilities. I would like to hear how well GnuCash handles on-line banking.

Tax software for Linux appears to be the road block that will prevent me from moving to Linux. TaxCut and TurboTax are not supported for Linux and I have contacted the vendors requesting a port but no response. Is there any tax software like TaxCut or TurboTax for Linux. Here again, I do not want to code, convert, rely on other software (wine, codeweaver, etc) to make TaxCut or TurboTax software to work on Linux. I would prefer a tax application specifically written for Linux that will file on-line with the IRS and state tax administration.

To much to ask Linux to do? Well folks, these applications have existed for the Microsoft operating systems for many years and has been a major reason for me and friends not to make a serious move to Linux.

I would love to move entirely to Linux but have to settle on a hack of a dual boot machine or more than one workstation that take up space and kilowatts to run. Why? Because I depend on accounting and tax software that linux does not offer.

Frustrated wanna-be Linux user. :(

Two years after Bill made the initial post in this thread, finding a good bookeeping and accounting program that runs under Linux may still be a proglem. I recently wrote in another thread:

"Now, if only there were a good Linux replacement for Quickbooks (which is in the pay of the evil empire, I think)."

John Calhoun replied:

"I know what you mean. We're running QuickBooks 2000 Pro under Win4Lin, and that's the only app for us that there is no Linux equivalent. There are many Linux book keeping programs, but we found most to be unsatisfactory in business, and only one or two offer payroll services. What I wouldn't give if someone were to make a QuickBooks clone for Linux using, or at least able to accommodate, the .QBW file extension."

Can anyone enlighten us?

I haven't tried it yet, but just found an application called SQL Ledger at

http://www.sql-ledger.org/

Someone who was using it recommended it on another group a couple of years ago.

Check out this article in Linux Journal on SQL Ledger:

http://www.linuxjournal.com/article/7290

Looks like it may be the answer to my prayers.

I'm submitting it to the extremely helpful table of equivalents at

http://linuxshop.ru/linuxbegin/win-l...table.shtml#41

Then there's GNUcash:

http://www.gnucash.org/

And Kmymoney (for KDE users):

http://gnuman.com/programs/kmymoney.html

Thank you for the information.

I still haven't switched to Linux because the available accounting software for Linux doesn't upload and download transactions to my bank. This is a very basic function that Quicken has had for years. Please correct me if I'm wrong with a link to a reference.

I still don't see tax software for Linux that will upload 1040 tax form to the IRS like TaxCut or TurboTax. Yet another reason I haven't switched to Linux.

ONE POST! Posting more than once in a row like that is really annoying.

Hello,
I just wanted to say that I have been using GNU Cash in my business for many years now, and it works well. It integrates with my Bank of America online banking, it exports to TurboTax Online, and there's really nothing I can complain about.

As akohler mentioned, there is TurboTax Online. I doubt we'll see a native version of TurboTax for Linux anytime soon, but at least the web version allows us to get it done from Linux.

There are some QuickBooks alternatives. These include MyBooks Professional, Quasar Accounting, and TurboCASH,