🚀 go-pugleaf

In article <135044@sun.Eng.Sun.COM> williamt@athena1.Eng.Sun.COM (William A. Turnbow) writes:

   What are the tax ramifications of developing software that is given
   away?

   	Let's suppose you want to start a small business.  You develop
   buy a computer and write it off as a business expense.  However, you
   spend let's say, half of your computer time developing GNU type
   software.  It seems the IRS might then come back and disallow
   at least half if not all of the deductions because your GNU side
   of the business qualified more as a hobby, not as a business.

I have exactly such a business.  As long as I am making a profit, I don't
see why or how the IRS could call it a hobby.  Not only that, but my business
has comfortably made a profit in all seven years of its existance.

So much for the idea that copylefted software isn't profitable.

--
--russ (nelson@clutx [.bitnet | .clarkson.edu])  Russ.Nelson@$315.268.6667
Violence never solves problems, it just changes them into more subtle problems