You can't cURL a Border (drobinin.com)

Article summary

The article discusses the complexities of navigating country borders and tax residency rules, highlighting the challenges of dealing with multiple jurisdictions and their varying requirements. The author shares their personal experience of creating a state machine to track their own travel and tax obligations, which eventually led to the development of an app called Residency. The app aims to help users understand how their travel plans may affect their tax residency status and other border-related issues. The author's goal is to provide a tool that can help individuals avoid mistakes and complications when dealing with complex border rules.

Main themes

• Border control complexity
• Tax residency rules
• Travel planning
• Government bureaucracy
• Personal data management

What commenters say

• The complexity of border rules and tax residency requirements can be overwhelming, even for individuals who are familiar with the system.
• The use of AI-generated code can be helpful in creating complex software, but it may not always produce reliable results.
• Some commenters argue that the task of tracking tax residency and border rules could be accomplished with simpler tools, such as Excel, while others believe that a specialized app is necessary.
• There is a need for administrative discretion in the enforcement of complex rules, as they can often lead to unintended consequences or unfair outcomes.
• The rise of nationalism in Europe may lead to increased complexity and restrictions on travel and residency, making tools like the Residency app more necessary.
• The app's approach to handling complex rules and corner cases is seen as a strength by some, while others are skeptical about its ability to handle all possible scenarios.
• The use of a DSL or custom code can be more effective than relying on AI-generated code for complex math-heavy rules.
• The article highlights the importance of understanding and navigating complex systems, and the need for tools and resources that can help individuals make sense of them.