As the deadline for U.S. federal income taxes approaches, art collective company MSCHF has announced a new anime dating simulator titled “Tax Heaven 3000” to help individuals file tax returns.
The free anime-style visual novel, which will launch for PC via Steam on April 4, features Iris, a “cheerful and easygoing” young woman who can help prepare a player’s 2022 U.S. federal income tax return.
Iris will ask players for their personal information, including their Social Security numbers, to make the tax process easier.
“It’s always been a dream of mine to meet that special someone…and file their tax return. Join me and we’ll search for deductions while searching for love!” the game’s Steam listing reads.
According to an overview on the game’s Steam page, “Tax Heaven 3000” is “suitable for single filers without dependents.”
Most wealthy countries make tax filing free, if the burden of preparation is even passed along to individuals at all. But, corporate tax filing services are (by dint of extensive lobbying) predatory, parasitic bottlenecks that deliberately complicate the tax filing process in order to make it unnavigable by ordinary people. And it works! The villainous corporation that controls the government from the shadows is a sadly mundane reality. It’s the most boring industry imaginable.
Videogames are, at the end of the day, pieces of software–ontologically akin to Microsoft Word. “Tax Heaven 3000” simply makes the fiction the point. For some reason, the game-to-real-life interface has tended to remain the purview of corporate metaverse fictions. “Tax Heaven 3000” is a dongle that adapts from a visual novel to the IRS.
“Tax Heaven 3000” is the second game release from Brooklyn-based MSCHF Product Studio.
The company previously released “Chair Simulator” in May 2021. The game features over 100 chairs for players to sit in and earn points.
MSCHF were also responsible for Lil Nas X’s Satan Shoes, Big Fruit Loop, Eat the Rich popsicles and the recently viral big red Astro Boy boots.
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