Do you love tax? Do you also love collecting pocket monsters? Accounting startup Open Ledger has the game for you: PokéTax. You can tell it’s about tax because they slapped a tie on Pikachu.
They had to get permission from Nintendo for this, right? Right??
The interactive “game” promises to help players “learn tax filing through interactive battles!” After entering some basic information about how you make your income and how many dependents you have, among a few other questions, you meet Professor Larry, CPA (who looks suspiciously like Professor Oak but with a suit and briefcase).
From there, you pick your starter. Your options are: TaxSaur, the Deduction type Pokémon; Auditmander, the Audit type Pokémon; or Creditle, the Refund type Pokémon.
Then you meet Giovanni, CPA who works out of an open office similar to yours and immediately threatens you before he starts talking mad shit about TurboTax and QuickBooks.
From there you fight your first Pokémon. Although running is an option, choosing it isn’t recommended by the software. You get threatened with garnishment and tax fraud if you try.
Check it out if you want. And as the game warns on the front page, consult a tax professional for actual tax filing.
Related:
Commissioner Doug Shulman said in a statement today that the agency would make it easier for taxpayers to seek withdrawal of liens when they pay a tax debt or make arrangements to pay in installments for debts of less than $25,000. The agency also raised the dollar thresholds before liens are typically filed. “We are making fundamental changes to our lien system and other collection tools that will help taxpayers and give them a fresh start,” Shulman said in the statement. “These steps are good for people facing tough times, and they reflect a responsible approach for the tax system.” [