Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

Billing systems are a nightmare for engineers

getlago.com

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

301–310 of 372 posts

Re: Billing systems are a nightmare for engineers

#301

Post by bernardlunn »

systemvoltage wrote: post #277
btilly wrote: post #259

Wait until you get into the complexities of taxation. If you think you know them, pay attention to https://twitter.com/aotearoa_ben/status/1526786701750050817 . That's a law that changes the tax rate if 1. The purchase happens in Texas. 2. The payment cleared in a specific 2 day period. 3. The item cost Seriously, calling out just one example, https://comptroller.texas.gov/taxes/publications/98-490/scho... points out…

We should demand governments to maintain and provide an API for their tax codes. Let them have skin in the game. If the taxes are incorrect, businesses can point out that it’s the government API’s fault. Completely developed in the open, and with full test coverage. This should be required to collect taxes. No API? No taxes. API down? Tax waived.

Good luck with getting popular support for that one!

Re: Billing systems are a nightmare for engineers

#302

Post by loloquwowndueo »

throwaway6532 wrote: post #287
loloquwowndueo wrote: post #279

Earlier quoted context omitted.

“We” the engineers (working for the government) still have to develop those APIs and the backends that power them. The only way to reduce the pain instead of just shifting it around would be to massively simplify the source of truth - tax codes and laws.

The US tax system is the legislative equivalent of spaghetti code / big ball of mud.

Nah it’s not a US thing; tax codes are the same most everywhere.

Re: Billing systems are a nightmare for engineers

#303

Post by hoseja »

jaywalk wrote: post #280
wewxjfq wrote: post #99

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Quoted post unavailable.

> it's against your freedumbs You don't even know what freedom is or how fundamental an issue it is to the United States.

I don't think US has many relevant freedoms left. Some people cling very hard to legacy 18th century ones while the Moloch just gobbles up all the new ones stemming from progress.

Re: Billing systems are a nightmare for engineers

#304

Post by _tom_ »

philliphaydon wrote: post #276
btilly wrote: post #259

Wait until you get into the complexities of taxation. If you think you know them, pay attention to https://twitter.com/aotearoa_ben/status/1526786701750050817 . That's a law that changes the tax rate if 1. The purchase happens in Texas. 2. The payment cleared in a specific 2 day period. 3. The item cost Seriously, calling out just one example, https://comptroller.texas.gov/taxes/publications/98-490/scho... points out…

I used to work at a company that managed the systems for back of house in fast food chains. We moved customers from excel to an online system. Omg when it came to doing labouring in the US. It’s scary. If a person clocks in at 9:52M. The company only has to pay them from 10am. But in other states they must pay from 9:45am. There’s so much complexity in the us due to all states being different.

It's so much worse than that. Some payroll tax laws vary by SCHOOL DISTRICT of the employee.

Re: Billing systems are a nightmare for engineers

#305

Post by mtoddsmith »

Hour 1: 10 KW used for 0.5 hour = 5 KW (10 x 0.5) Hour 2: 20 KW used for 1 hour = 20 KW (20 x 1) Hour 3: 0 KW used for 1 hour = 0 KW (0 x 1) Hour 4: 30 KW used for 0.5 hour = 15 KW (30 x 0.5) TOTAL = 40 KW used x $10 ⇒ $40

Shouldnt that be 50kw used in total?

Now we know who's writing all the bugs :)

Re: Billing systems are a nightmare for engineers

#306

Post by conductr »

loloquwowndueo wrote: post #279
systemvoltage wrote: post #277

Earlier quoted context omitted.

We should demand governments to maintain and provide an API for their tax codes. Let them have skin in the game. If the taxes are incorrect, businesses can point out that it’s the government API’s fault. Completely developed in the open, and with full test coverage. This should be required to collect taxes. No API? No taxes. API down? Tax waived.

“We” the engineers (working for the government) still have to develop those APIs and the backends that power them. The only way to reduce the pain instead of just shifting it around would be to massively simplify the source of truth - tax codes and laws.

True. One is a more realistic reality though. And it results in this thing only being built once instead of a massive headache for all.

I have to imagine government workers are already writing software to identify if we’ve all implemented it correctly, when the could have just given us the code/api up front.

Re: Billing systems are a nightmare for engineers

#307

Post by 6510 »

Billing is a nightmare for everyone but its not so bad for engineers. In general it's great to keep track of what things cost but in situations where the overhead is more expensive than the product it self we should be considering more unmetered approaches.

Billing, like taxes, can be broken down into relatively simple smaller problems. You solve all of those then do a bit of maintenance. In return you get something close enough to all-you-can eat on the cheap! Automation is wonderful!

Re: Billing systems are a nightmare for engineers

#309

Post by quantum_magpie »

mtoddsmith wrote: post #305

Hour 1: 10 KW used for 0.5 hour = 5 KW (10 x 0.5) Hour 2: 20 KW used for 1 hour = 20 KW (20 x 1) Hour 3: 0 KW used for 1 hour = 0 KW (0 x 1) Hour 4: 30 KW used for 0.5 hour = 15 KW (30 x 0.5) TOTAL = 40 KW used x $10 ⇒ $40 Shouldnt that be 50kw used in total? Now we know who's writing all the bugs :)

No.
Post reply on HN