Linux accounting and reporting

The article discusses the current issue of accounting and filing electronic reports with regulatory authorities in the GNU / Linux operating system.

Baseline


A few months ago, my goal was to completely transfer all computers in my organization to Linux. Most of the employees in the organization have been working for a long time on computers running Linux and using Free Software (STR) in their daily activities. The only department that progress did not touch was accounting.

To translate accounting to Linux, it was necessary to solve two main problems:
  1. What to do accounting in Linux;
  2. How to send reports to regulatory authorities.

Electronic reporting


If accounting is more or less clear, then reporting on Linux is not a trivial task.

Reporting in electronic form is carried out via telecommunication channels (TKS) with the use of enhanced qualified electronic signature through electronic document management operators. [1]

The first problem is that not one of the electronic document management operators , or as they are also called special communication operators (SOS), provides ready-made solutions for Linux.

The second problem is enhanced qualified electronic signature (CEP). To work with it, you must have installedmeans of cryptographic information protection (CPSI) certified by the FSB.

Oddly enough, but such cryptographic information protection systems under Linux exist. Most telecom operators use CryptoPro cryptographic information protection system, which is available for all major operating systems.

Market Review


The website of the Federal Tax Service of the Russian Federation contains a list of Organizations - operators of Electronic Document Management [3]. Currently it contains 98 organizations.

Some of the companies represented are partners of four market leading companies: Tensor, Takskom, CJSC PF SKB Kontur, and Kaluga Astral CJSC. Another part of the company provides its services only in certain regions.

According to the data of the Social Insurance Fund (FSS), the distribution of customers between the social insurance system for 2013 is as follows [4]:
image


The company "Tensor" offers the product "VLSI ++". The program is designed as a Windows application, supports work with several cryptographic providers: CryptoPro CSP, Signal Com CSP, Lissy CSP, VipNet CSP. [5]

Takscom offers two solutions: PC Sprinter and Online Sprinter. The first is a Windows application, the second allows you to work with the system through Internet Explorer. Both solutions require CryptoPro CIP. [6]

Kaluga Astral CJSC offers the Astral Report product, also made as a Windows application. CryptoPro is used as a cryptographic information protection tool. [7]

The company ZAO PF SKB Kontur offers a number of solutions. Most of the company's products are powered by SaaS technology (English software as a service) and are accessible through a browser (latest versions of IE, Chrome, Safari or Firefox).

They also provide the so-called cloud CEP ( Cloud CEP ).

A cloud-based electronic signature is a qualified electronic signature (CEP), which is stored on the server of a specialized telecom operator. It cannot be damaged or lost. To confirm access to the cloud signature, you will need to enter the code from the SMS message (for example, when decrypting or signing documents). [8]

To work with such a CEP, specialized software is not required. All operations of signing and decrypting reports occur directly on the SOS server.

The main products of the company for reporting:
  • Kontur.Ekstren - requires the presence of system-dependent components.


Products that do not require the installation of additional components:

Testing


It was decided to test the functionality of the above products on Linux.

Unfortunately, not a single reporting program, executed as a Windows application, started through Wine. There is information that WINE @ Etersoft 2.0 implements the ability to run SBiS ++ and CryptoPro, for more details click here . I don’t have the opportunity to check the operability of this solution.

“Online Sprinter” turned out to be tied to Internet Explore and CryptoPro.

The products of CJSC PF SKB Kontur showed much better themselves. They turned out to be more convenient both in terms of testing and in terms of use. Testing was facilitated by the availability of demo access and promotions for free use. Also, their work does not require the installation of additional software when using a cloud-based CEP and they work fine in the main browsers (Firefox, Google Chrome, Chromium).

CIPF and CEP

Most SOSs work with CryptoPro CSPIP, some support Signal Com CSP, Lissy CSP, VipNet CSP. Only CryptoPro has a native version for Linux. However, the launch of CryptoPro on Linux was not so simple, and in the end it was not possible to ensure its correct operation.

For this reason, we abandoned the use of "iron" CEP. Cloud CEP does not require the installation of cryptographic information protection.

Summary


After a month of testing, the choice was finally settled on Kontur. Accounting, which allows not only to keep accounting records, but also send reports to regulatory authorities. For the promotion, we have three months of free work in the service. And in the organization there was only one computer with Windows on board, the license still allows, but we do not plan to renew it.

The accountants are also very satisfied. You can work on any computer. The service is simple, straightforward and contains many additional features: a regulatory framework that allows you to check contractors, ask experts a question and many additional training materials.


Linux accounting and 1C alternative


There are a number of accounting programs for Linux. All of them are very peculiar and do not always keep up with the updates of Russian legislation. The only serious and official accounting solution for Linux is 1C.

About the disadvantages of 1C is well written in the article Why 1C is bad and why 1C programmers do not like it so much .

Our choice in favor of Kontur. Accountants were determined by the following factors:
  • Easy to install and configure, or rather their absence, Kontur. Bookkeeping just works;
  • To send reports, cloud-based CEP is used; programs of other developers such as CEP do not support;
  • Simplicity of the interface and use;
  • Updates are free and are installed automatically on servers;
  • Cloud operating principle, without limitation on the number of jobs;
  • No need to have a freelance 1C programmer;
  • Availability of related services;
  • Large regulatory and training base.

Is everything so cloudless in the clouds?


The company and its services left a good impression. We are very pleased with the step taken. But there are certain limitations.

Firstly, nowhere on the company's resources have I met official confirmation of support for operating systems other than Windows. License agreements also do not include operating systems other than Windows.

Secondly, the company's products are not suitable for all organizations, it all depends on the tax regime and type of activity. Before purchasing products, you must carefully familiarize yourself with all the features of the services.

Thirdly, at a number of points Kontur. Bookkeeping is not a competitor of 1C, which has a more flexible setting for individual needs.

Therefore, before the final transition, it is necessary to carefully study the needs of accounting and the functionality of services, since there is the opportunity to do this without any risk. The first 30 days of using Kontur. Accounting is free. There is also a promotion “Gift for new LLCs” - a quarter of work in an online service with reporting. For Kontur.Elba there is a promotion “Year of the Elba for beginners FE” - a year of free service at the “Premium” tariff. For Kontur.Ekstern Small Business the action "Test Drive" is valid for 3 months.

You can get acquainted with the work of Kontur. Bookkeeping in the demo version on the website www.b-kontur.ru .

Bibliography


  1. Submission of tax and accounting statements
  2. Federal Law of 06.04.2011 N 63-ФЗ "On electronic signature"
  3. Organizations - operators of Electronic Document Management
  4. Who is the market leader in reporting?
  5. System requirements "VLSI ++" .
  6. System requirements "PC Sprinter" and "Online Sprinter" .
  7. System requirements "Astral Report"
  8. Order of 08.04.2013 No. MMV-7-4 / 142 @ “On Approving the Procedure for Using Qualified Certificates of Electronic Signature Verification Keys in Information Systems of the Federal Tax Service of Russia”
  9. The official website of the company CRIPTO-PRO
  10. Official site of the company ZAO PF SKB Kontur
  11. Getting Started at Kontur Extern with a Cloud Certificate
  12. Report.ru
  13. Kontur.Extern for small business
  14. Contour Elba
  15. Contour.Accounting


Upd : Thank Dee3 for the comment . The company Tensor offers an online version of the SBC, which can work with both a regular signature and a signature that is stored on the company's server. The system requirements are as follows:

in other cases (if the electronic signature is stored on our server) there are no strict requirements for the OS: VLSI is stable in any operating environment, including Linux and Mac OS .

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