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VIRTUALISATION ATO emulates ignorance when it comes to the Mac
VIRTUALISATION ATO emulates ignorance when it comes to the Mac | ATO emulates ignorance when it comes to the Mac |
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| by Sam Varghese | |
| Tuesday, 01 September 2009 | |
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Is emulation software used on a Mac the equivalent of Windows? Does emulation software have anything to do with downloading the e-tax software? The answer to both questions should be a firm no - but in the case of the ATO, there seems to be some doubt. I applied for a private ruling from the tax office to find out if the cost of a copy of Windows, purchased by me (a Linux user and owner of a Mac) exclusively for the task of filing my taxes - the e-tax application runs only on Windows - is a deductible expense. Some of the "relavant facts and circumstances" cited in the ruling, which I received today, indicate a rather pathetic level of technical ignorance. Some history for the uninitiated: the ATO introduced tax software as a pilot in 1998 and the following year the use of the software was on a trial basis; there was no official announcement and everyone still got a tax pack at home until then. (We used to have these bulky books dropped off at our residences every year, else the local newsagent would hand over one on request). A couple of years later, the ATO took note of those who were using the software and stopped sending them the tax packs - which led me to conclude that the software had by then proved its mettle, reduced the workload for the ATO and also proved to be a good base on which to proceed. Mac users have been able to use the software if they have an emulator on their machines - the ATO says "E-tax is not compatible with Linux or Apple Macintosh computers. However, e-tax has been tested successfully on an Apple computer running OS X v10.4.3 with Virtual PC 7 software emulating a recommended Windows operating system." However Virtual PC only runs on older Macs, the PowerPCs, which have Motorola processors. The new line of Intel-based Macs cannot run the emulator. The ATO seems to be blissfully unaware of this - and the Intel-based Macs have been around for at least the last three years. |
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