The Irish Revenue Commissioners have an online service called Revenue Online Service (or ROS for short).
I tried to sign up for Revenue Online’s service over the last week. However, I failed to get it working because of a problem installing KCrypto (a custom Java application) onto my Mac. The Kcrypto appears to be required for download of a digital cert.
Ringing the Helpdesk I was told that ROS only supports OS 9 on Mac! (and even then, the woman told me – the trainer they had training them on OS 9 last week couldn’t install it on an OS 9 machine!). Seriously though, only supports OS 9? Isn’t that a bit like telling Windows users that it will only work on Windows 95, not Windows 2000 or Windows XP?
And also, wasn’t this whole Internet and Java thing supposed to be about platform independance? Sun seem to think so, according to the Java section of their website “Running across all platforms … Java technology unifies business infrastructure to create a seamless, secure, networked platform for your business.”
I took another tack. I have Virtual PC 6 installed on the Mac and Windows XP SP2 installed on that. I tried to get ROS working on that OS – However, I still get the “Problem installing KCrypto” page appearing in both IE 6 and Firefox 1.0.
It is probably that the Revenue Commissioners don’t want people enlightened enough to own a Mac to be bothering themselves with such lowly tasks as paying tax. Us Mac owners are off to eat cake!
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ROS works fine on Explorer running in Classic mode.
In OSX, I can get into ROS with Safari (once digital certs are stored in the root level of my user dirctory) but have problems signing returns.
Having the same problem ! Can’t believe they state that Safari running on OS X is supported. Half a day wasted !
wow thanks i have been trying for ages with a helpline guy telling me that it is possible
this has been going on for ages
emailing back and forward with no luck and i have wasted so much time and energy
if the situation has changed since last year and i am just inept please tell me how to do it
i have a mac osx 10.3.9
thankyou
….relieved that, at least there is this website to inform potential ROS customers with Mac OS platforms, that they are indeed not crazy! Having exactly the same issues here now as the previous discussion list people, in September 2006 and as the submission deadline looms……in the process of trying to crack this one and will keep you informed of any developments.Cheers
ok – success!
…so… (using Mac OS 10.3.9 Safari v1.2) from the horse’s mouth…….
“You will need to create a folder called “extensions” in the following
location:
HARD DISK/ ACCOUNT NAME (i.e. USERNAME) /LIBRARY/ JAVA/ Create the folder
extensions in Java folder.
Once you have done this restart the Mac and click on the ROS homepage, enter
the login option and click on the link
“kcrypto & java” under login applet and let this install.
This should solve the problem you are currently experiencing.”
Hope this helps all….
On OS X 10.4.10 (Tiger), under Firefox, the ROS login applet downloaded for me when I went to login.
I copied my certs into this directory (the ROS applet created this for me): /Users//ROS/RosCerts
Now I can login under Firefox and Safari – haven’t submitted anything yet, so I hope the signing works.
Correction: That directory should read
/Users/yourusername/ROS/RosCerts
Sorry, late arrival…
I have been a ROS user for 5 years!! EVERY year I have had problems in getting going. EVERY year I have had to get a new set of certs (latest message left on their helpdesk yesterday). I have also had probs with Krypto, etc. – in the ROS world OS and PC/MAC independence isn’t an option….In addition, since the very beginning, they have said they support Opera on PC and they haven’t, every year I start in Opera but end up in (yuk) Explorer in order to do my online return. I made a formal written complaint tat a State service should require me to use M$ products and got a waffle answer.
Signs on it, my password is now xxx….4!! 4th version…..
To be fair the helpdesk staff are very sympathetic, I get the impression they are ‘real’ IT people but somewhere in the hierarchy there is a M$ fan…..
Bye, Barry
Eventually got kcrypto and ros working on Mac Osx. But why are you all wondering ? Accenture implemented ROS system and they are a classic example of a consultancy that trains people on the job. Implementing obsolete technology at our expense.
Basically these big system projects are always poorly implemented and never thought through. But who cares – its the Irish taxpayer funding it. And these guys also did Pulse for the Garda ! Is that a glowing example of modern technology ?
And I do know.
Is anyone else having a big problem with ROS form 11 for 2007 on their mac?