The Tax Office
You are at a desk in the Bergstadt tax office. On the pile are 43 handwritten files and nine case generators that draw fresh numbers every time.
Every file asks a question the statute has an answer to. You decide, and your section head signs it off — or does not. After 18 files handled correctly you take over the whole office.
A game built on real German law (AO, EStG, UStG, 2026 figures), but simplified. Not tax advice. An individual case may well be decided differently.
How to play
- Pick a level: Beginner has no clock, Advanced gives you 60 seconds a question, Professional 35 seconds and one extra answer to choose from.
- Read the file — the people, the amounts, the deadlines — and choose one of the answers. The clock only runs on the two higher levels.
- Read the explanation. It also says why the other answers are wrong, and cites the legal basis underneath so you can look it up.
- Watch the four meters: legal certainty and public satisfaction fall when you are wrong, the backlog grows, and the additional revenue rises when you work cleanly.
- After 18 correct files the office opens up: assign staff across five sections, choose one measure a week, and survive twelve weeks.
The Tax Office is a free administration browser game on DropPlay where players work as staff at a German tax office and decide real cases under real German tax law. On the desk are 43 handwritten files from assessment, objections, collection, field audit, payroll tax audit, VAT, inheritance tax and the child benefit office, plus nine case generators that draw fresh figures and dates every time — the commuting allowance, the late-filing surcharge, the late-payment penalty, objection deadlines, the income tax tariff, the small-business threshold, the working-from-home allowance, the savers' allowance and deferral interest. Every decision is explained and cited, with sections from the Fiscal Code, the Income Tax Act and the VAT Act as they stand for 2026. Handle 18 files correctly and you take over the office, running five sections for twelve weeks. It runs straight in the browser on desktop, tablet and phone, with no download and no sign-up.
FAQ
Is the tax law in this game real?
Yes. Every amount, deadline and section was checked against the official texts on gesetze-im-internet.de and against official announcements, as the law stands for 2026 — a basic allowance of €12,348, child benefit of €259, a commuting allowance of €0.38 from the first kilometre, a €3,300 allowance for part-time instructors. The game still simplifies, and it is not tax advice: a real case may well be decided differently.
Do I need to know German tax law to play?
No. Every wrong answer is explained rather than just marked, and the “Reference” tab holds a book of all the figures plus a tariff calculator. On Beginner there is no clock, so you can look things up as you go.
Why does the year 2026 appear everywhere?
Because tax figures change every year. The game states which year it is built on in the header, in the reference book and in the note under the playing area, so that nobody mistakes an old figure for a current one.
Do the cases repeat?
The 43 handwritten files only come round again once every one of them has been seen. The nine generators draw new figures, dates and weekdays each time, so the same calculation never comes up twice in the same shape.
What is the office mode?
The second half of the game, unlocked after 18 files handled correctly. For twelve weeks you distribute officers, case officers and section heads across assessment, objections, collection, field audit and the public counter, choose one measure a week, and decide events ranging from a flu outbreak to a reported attempt at bribery.
Score · Best ·