SyntaxBomb - Indie Coders

In his posting Keep It Fresh Fred explains among other things why he hadn't updated the OGRE engine in 10 years and how he will keep the OGRE wrapper updated much more easily in future PureBasic releases by switching from custom make files to CMake.

In a new interview Fred answers questions about his private life, computer programming and business in general, PureBasic and SpiderBasic history and the future of PureBasic and SpiderBasic.

Interesting that Fred justifies switching Purebasic to a subscription kind of model by France introducing a new tax system for small business. Sounds weird. I don't mind if updates come as regulary like it is now but with Siderbasic it put me off as there are not many updates being done.

Quote from: MikeHart on February 08, 2025, 12:16:30Interesting that Fred justifies switching Purebasic to a subscription kind of model by France introducing a new tax system for small business. Sounds weird.

One thing that is always certain in life is death and taxes.

I don't think I would mind such a subscription model, but in general having to pay for something that very rarely gets any updates, kind of puts me off. Had that with a certain application where I had to fork out a far amount just for the software and the security dongle, and a yearly subscription for software that had a few issues with no updates in that year.

Maybe @RemiD can tell more about any changes in the French tax system.

I only have read:
- bands increase (they have tax rates which differ for "blocks" of your income ... simplified: if you earn 30.000/yr and the band is 0-10.000 = 0%, 10.001-20.000 = 10%, 20.001-30.000 you will pay 10% taxes for 10.000 and 20% for another 10.000 -- each in their band)
- VAT Exemption (for micro companies etc) - this one increased by some thousand


So both are adjusted a bit for inflation, but none of these is _bad_ for a small business. Hope RemiD can shed some light.



bye
Ron

Quote from: dawlane on February 08, 2025, 13:12:17

Quote from: MikeHart on February 08, 2025, 12:16:30Interesting that Fred justifies switching Purebasic to a subscription kind of model by France introducing a new tax system for small business. Sounds weird.

One thing that is always certain in life is death and taxes.

I don't think I would mind such a subscription model, but in general having to pay for something that very rarely gets any updates, kind of puts me off. Had that with a certain application where I had to fork out a far amount just for the software and the security dongle, and a yearly subscription for software that had a few issues with no updates in that year.

I'm the same, I don't mind paying a sub if it's worth paying for, with updates that have meat in them...

I have noted the sub model for PureBasic is annual, and if you don't resubscribe, you still get to use the version you have for said year, that's a good thing, because you know where you are, and your data is still yours and usable.

What pisses me off is when an app is, say, monthly, and if you stop, it becomes a digital paper weight, thus effectively locking you out from using your own data... That's the sub model I hate... They instantly own the data you produce, and that's wrong.

Dabz

Current users apparently still get updates for free and for life.

https://www.purebasic.fr/english/viewtopic.php?p=634879#p634879

Quote from: Derron on February 08, 2025, 13:37:44Maybe RemiD can tell more about any changes in the French tax system.

in France there are several 'structures' of companies, depending on if the person is self employed and alone, or also has employees, and depending on the 'type' of activity, and depending on the 'revenue' / sales per year (in euros) that the person / company will do.

to make it simple :
with the simplest company structure, and for a small 'revenue' / sales per year (below 85,000euros of sales in total per year) , and the dev is self employed and alone,
if the sale is a final product distributed to many people (it is a product), the taxes are 12.3% (social taxes) and around 1.5% (income tax).
if the sale is a product developed specificaly for a client / employer (it is a service), the taxes are 21.2% (social taxes) and around 1.5% (income tax).

for a higher 'revenue' / sales per year, i don't know because the % of taxes are calculated with different percentages depending on different ranges (the administration like to complicate everything, isn't it...)

(this is a simplified summary, do your own research)

So no new "tax laws" appeared out of the sudden in 2025? Something telling a French-man to have to change business plans now ?

"different ranges" -> the tax bands I guess.


bye
Ron

QuoteSo no new "tax laws" appeared out of the sudden in 2025?

there is a slight increase of the 'social tax' for small companies. (for solo entrepreneur / solo developper)

but i don't know if the guy you are talking about uses this 'structure' of company, so i can't say for sure.

85,000euros per year -12.3% (social taxes) and -1.5% (income tax), allows already a pretty good income to sell digital products like software or ebooks, imo.

but i can't speak for this guy, i don't know the details, maybe he has employees or a higher 'revenue' / sales per year, so he uses another 'structure' of company with others taxes.

Thanks.

Thought he either has higher income and benefits from increased tax band ranges - or a micro company (only some handful sales per month) ... in this case the limit until you can no longer be a micro company (VAT exempt)  increased... this made me wonder.
I mean... he won't tell such things knowing he potentially has French users too - who could know what happens or not in their country (at least the surface, I know your POV RemiD ).


bye
Ron

Quote from: Derron on February 11, 2025, 08:32:56he either has higher income and benefits from increased tax band ranges

yes this may be another reason.

Quote from: Derron on February 11, 2025, 08:32:56or a micro company (only some handful sales per month) ... in this case the limit until you can no longer be a micro company (VAT exempt)

well, 85,000 euros per year allows more than a 'handful' of sales... especially for a solo dev.

---------

in France, it is common that different solo entreprenneurs work together for some projects (for example a code specialist, with a graphic specialist, with a sound specialist, with a marketing specialist), because this way there is no need to create a big company and to have complex accounting, and because this way there is no need to hire any employee (because in France, an employee can easily find a pretext (fake sickness) to not work but still be paid... )