Tax Collector



The Tax Collector is a Hardmode NPC that taxes other housed NPCs to earn coins for players. He is obtained by throwing Purification Powder on a Tortured Soul, a rare Underworld enemy. The enemy will transform into the Tax Collector, and if killed, he will respawn like all other town NPCs so long as a vacant house is available.

When the Tax Collector is present, will be earned per real-world minute (each in-game hour), for each NPC that has a house – including the Tax Collector himself. The Tax Collector stores these funds, up to. Speaking to him will reveal the amount stored thus far, and offer the option to collect. On the, his tax limit (as well as his current funds and how much he collects per minute) varies depending on his current happiness; thus, how much he earns per minute will be between and , while his limit will be between  and.

The Tax Collector will attack nearby enemies with his cane to defend himself.

Tips

 * With 20 town NPCs, the Tax Collector will collect every minute, collecting  per in-game day.
 * When searching for a Tortured Soul, make sure all minions are dismissed so they will not kill it. Note that a Tortured Soul can respawn like any other enemy, should the minions kill it.
 * Bringing some Purification Powder when going to kill the Wall of Flesh for the first time, will let the player recruit the Tax Collector almost immediately after starting Hardmode, even before returning to the surface or breaking altars.
 * For most of the game, the only way to maximize his happiness is to put him in the Snow Biome with the Merchant and Party Girl; unfortunately that will make both of them unhappy. As the endgame approaches, the Party Girl can perhaps be replaced by the Princess.

Interaction quotes


When Merchant is present:

When Arms Dealer is present:

When Dryad is present:

When Demolitionist is present:

During Rain :

During a :

During a :

When in a :

When the player clicks "Collect" and money is collected:

When the player clicks "Collect" and there is no money to be collected:

Happiness quotes
When homeless:

When neutral:

When far from home:

When in a sparse area:

When overcrowded:

When in a Snow biome:

When in the Hallow:

When in an Evil biome or the Dungeon:

When near the Merchant:

When near the Party Girl:

When near the Demolitionist:

When near the Mechanic:

When near Santa Claus:

When near the Princess:

Trivia

 * The Tax Collector is a reference to Ebenezer Scrooge from the story A Christmas Carol. Scrooge is a greedy, grumpy old man with a cane and top hat, mutton chops, and a hunched back. Many of his quotes are references to the story. Additionally this is why he prefers the Snow biome, dislikes Christmas and hates Santa.
 * The Tax Collector's potential names are all names of well-known U.S. politicians, most of which were at one point president or vice-president.
 * The Tax Collector not participating in the event, is almost certainly intentional and possibly another reference to Ebenezer Scrooge, as they both do not celebrate.
 * In the game files, the Tax Collector has an alternate image of him without a hat: Tax Collector (without hat).png. This would have been originally used to don him with a party hat during a Party.
 * Many of his quotes reference colloquial names for pre-decimal units of British currency, such as s.
 * The quote "" is possibly a reference to the post-apocalyptic fiction novel , where ammo is used as currency. However, it's more likely that the Arms Dealer is making a veiled threat to shoot the Tax Collector rather than paying him, and the Tax Collector doesn't understand the undertone. Money can be used as ammo for the Coin Gun.
 * The quote "" is a vague sexual reference.
 * The line "" is a reference to slimes being so easy to kill and make money off them.
 * The quote "" exists in the game's source code, but never appears, possibly due to a coding error.
 * All the NPCs the Tax Collector likes or loves dislike or hate him in return, with the exception of the Princess.
 * When maximally unhappy, the Tax Collector will only store coins in numbers consisting of sixes. The Number of the Beast (a Hellish monster in the apocalyptic Bible book of Revelations,) is 666. Considering that the Tax Collector's description indicates that he has been to Hell and back seems to indicate that the connection of sixes may not be accidental.
 * His quote "" references the fact that, in A Christmas Carol, Ebenezer Scrooge is visited by the three spirits of Christmas, and has a change of heart overnight.
 * The quote "" said when in a graveyard, is a reference to the quote “Our new Constitution is now established, everything seems to promise it will be durable; but, in this world, nothing is certain except death and taxes,” said by Benjamin Franklin.