Perhaps this could go in Hall of Shame ---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: Vinod Kumar <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Date: Mon, Jul 28, 2008 at 12:54 PM Subject: [Indlinux-group] efiling only with MicroSoft Excel To: "Indian Linux group ," <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
The Income Tax department has prepared an e-filing Income tax Returns Preparations Utility for the Assessment year 2008-2009 that can be run only on Microsoft Excel (http://incometaxindiaefiling.gov.in). This is an extremely retrograde step. Last year it was possible to file it using acrobat (pdf). Microsoft Excel is a non-standard proprietary software (part of the infamous Microsoft Office Suite) and Govt of India is against such propritary formats as a matter of principle. How come the IT dept is forcing the use of Microsoft software on us? The IT Department should immediately make the spreadsheet software compatible with Open formats like OpenOffice SpreadSheet (.ods). Currently the .xls IT return spreadsheet has some macros that work only with MS Excel. IT Department can rework these macros so that OpenOffice software can also be used. IT Department should extend the last date (31 July 2008) for filing returns till the updated software is released and at least one week for fling using OpenOffice. It should also be possible to fill the names, addresses in any of the Indian scripts. IT department should not use tax payers money to promote MicroSoft software. The Indian Linux and Open software community should make the IT department to take to open software solutions. Vinod Kumar C-DAC Mumbai ------------------------------------------------------------------------- This SF.Net email is sponsored by the Moblin Your Move Developer's challenge Build the coolest Linux based applications with Moblin SDK & win great prizes Grand prize is a trip for two to an Open Source event anywhere in the world http://moblin-contest.org/redirect.php?banner_id=100&url=/ _______________________________________________ IndLinux-group mailing list [EMAIL PROTECTED] https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/indlinux-group _______________________________________________ ilugd mailinglist -- [email protected] http://frodo.hserus.net/mailman/listinfo/ilugd Archives at: http://news.gmane.org/gmane.user-groups.linux.delhi http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/
