The french initiative started in 2013 is still alive (last commit a few days ago), and passes the gov test suite (they keep in touch with our version of the IRS):
https://github.com/openfisca/openfisca-franceThe way we got this is interestingly twisted.
French citizens requested the software used by the administration, and they managed to get it!
But, it was written in Mlang, a proprietary language created by the french administration in the 90: https://github.com/MLanguage/mlang.
Someone then decided to create an OCaml compiler that takes mlang and emits python: https://arxiv.org/abs/2011.07966
As a result, we got Open Fisca. I now think there are other techs in the mix...
A slide of the story: https://www.slideshare.net/Etalab/opening-up-the-french-tax-...
But I believe it should be mandatory for the state to provide the source of every softwares they use internally to manage our lives. Also a test suite to allow any citizen to validate their own effort to comply with the law.
Just like laws should be published as diff of the previous laws, in a VCS repo.
The way we got this is interestingly twisted.
French citizens requested the software used by the administration, and they managed to get it!
But, it was written in Mlang, a proprietary language created by the french administration in the 90: https://github.com/MLanguage/mlang.
Someone then decided to create an OCaml compiler that takes mlang and emits python: https://arxiv.org/abs/2011.07966
As a result, we got Open Fisca. I now think there are other techs in the mix...
A slide of the story: https://www.slideshare.net/Etalab/opening-up-the-french-tax-...
But I believe it should be mandatory for the state to provide the source of every softwares they use internally to manage our lives. Also a test suite to allow any citizen to validate their own effort to comply with the law.
Just like laws should be published as diff of the previous laws, in a VCS repo.