Tax Collector

Type	NPC
AI Type	Passive AI
Damage	10
Max Life	250
Defense	15
KB Resist	50%

This is a Town NPC. A House may be required in order for it to appear.

A player purifying a Tortured Soul with Purification Powder.

The Tax Collector is a Hardmode NPC that taxes other Housed NPCs to earn coins for players. The Tax Collector is obtained by traveling to the Underworld and throwing Purification Powder on a Tortured Soul (a rare Underworld enemy that appears similar to the Tax Collector). The enemy will transform into the Tax Collector, and will respawn thereafter so long as a vacant House is available.

When the Tax Collector is present, 50 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 10 . Speaking to the Tax Collector will reveal the amount stored thus far, and offer the option to collect.

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

Notes[edit | edit source]

Funds can be collected at any time, and do not require a minimum amount stored.
When the Tax Collector's maximum storage of 10 is reached, he will not collect any further coins until the player collects from him.
Time passed using the Enchanted Sundial counts towards his total.
In Multiplayer, each player's earned taxes are separately maintained, and collecting has no impact on another player's payout.
The Lifeform Analyzer will detect a nearby Tortured Soul.
Cannot be teleported using either King or Queen Statue.
The Tax Collector will not participate in Parties, or even wear a party hat. However, it is still possible for him to throw a party.
The Tax Collector will keep his debuffs when changed from a Tortured Soul into himself.

Tips[edit | edit source]

With 20 Housed NPCs, the Tax Collector will collect 10 every minute. It would then take 100 minutes (a bit over 4 game days) to reach the cap of 10 .
When searching for a Tortured Soul, make sure you have minions deactivated as they will attack it.

Names[edit | edit source]

The Tax Collector may have any of the following names.

McKinley
Millard
Fillmore
Rutherford
Chester
Grover
Cleveland
Theodore
Herbert
Warren
Lyndon
Ronald
Harrison
Woodrow
Tweed
Blanton
Dwyer
Carroll
Agnew

Quotes[edit | edit source]

"Must everyone open and shut doors so incredibly noisily around here?!"
"I see you're free of time, as usual. Can't imagine what work life would be for your kind of folk."
"...two barrels of molasses, plus -- Oh, nevermind that, you're here. Here's your money."
"What does a man have to do to be left alone in this place? Go bugger someone less busy!"
"You again? Suppose you want more money!?"
"Yes, yes, yes! -- I'll give you your share in just a moment. I'd think you to be a bit more patient, what with me doing all the work and all."

When Dryad is present:

"Tried to get [Name of Dryad] to pay me with favors once, now I have fungus growing in strange places."

When Arms Dealer is present:

"Go tell [Name of Arms Dealer] to stop offering to pay me with ammo, I don't even own a gun."

When Demolitionist is present:

"Why don't YOU try collecting money from [Name of Demolitionist] and not lose a hand or foot or..."

When Merchant is present:

"I just came from [Name of Merchant]'s. He wanted to know if I took credit cards."

When player clicks Collect:

When player clicks Collect when some money is collected:
- "Here you are again, taking all my coin! Just grab it and begone from my sight!"
- "Here's your cut of the taxes that I've taken from our surplus population!"
- "Bah! Here, take your shillings and get out of my sight!"
- "This is all you're gonna get for now, not a penny more! Take it and spend it wisely."
When player clicks Collect when there is no money to be collected:
- "Not so fast! You got your money, now begone!"
- "Bah! You again? You just grabbed some of my coin just moments ago, so bugger off and come back later!"
- "I just gave you half a crown five minutes ago! Scram!"
- "You just received your pay, and not a farthing more! Get out!"
- "Oh, so you just see me as a coin sign, eh? 'Cus every time you see me, you ask me."
- "Reaching into my moneybags again already!? And you call ME greedy."
- "Money doesn't grow on trees, so don't overpick my fruit! Bah!"
- "You already managed to spend every pence I paid you!? Bah, I'm not a charity, go kill a slime!"
- "Don't you ever stop just to say 'Hi?'"
- "Begging so soon?! Don't look at me like I'll have a change of heart overnight!"
- "...And people call me greedy? No, I have nothing else for you."

Trivia[edit | edit source]

The Tax Collector is a reference to Ebenezer Scrooge from the Charles Dickens 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.
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 quote, "Just between you and me... I have no idea why they're bothering to pay the rent" exists in the game's source code, but never appears, possibly due to a coding error.
The chance of The Tax Collector being named "Agnew" is twice as high as any other name, also possibly due to a coding error.
The Tax Collector doesn't celebrate parties, as he doesn't say anything different, or even change his hat. This is almost certainly intentional, and possibly another reference to Ebenezer Scrooge, as they both don't celebrate.
The Tax Collector's quote when the Arms Dealer is present is possibly a reference to the Metro 2033 series, where ammo is used as currency. It could also just be the Arms Dealer threatening to shoot the Tax Collector rather than pay up.
Many of his quotes reference colloquial names for pre-decimal units of British currency, such as shillings.
The line, "Tried to get [Name of Dryad] to pay me with favors once, now I have fungus growing in strange places." is a vague sexual reference.
In the game files, the Tax Collector has an alternate image of him without a hat: . This would have been originally used to don him with a party hat during a party.
The line "You already managed to spend every pence I paid you!? Bah, I'm not a charity, go kill a slime!" is a reference to Slimes being so easy to kill and make money off them.