Tax Beasts Module
Preview Clip:
Every bull/bear you collect in “Stonk Pets” spawns a matching tax monster in “Tax Beasts”. At the simulated year-end to file taxes, those tax monsters attack your wealth!
Long-term Capital Goo Goblin
"A slow, heavy goo goblin that respects patience. It oozes in and only takes a small taste of your wealth.”
Note: Holding longer is often treated more softly than quick flips, so the bite usually feels lighter.
Dividend Phantom
"A pale collector that drifts in whenever a dividend lands. It skims its share, leaves a chill, and fades back into the ledger."
Note: Dividend payouts are usually taxable income. This phantom is a simple, visual reminder that a cut can be owed when you receive them.
Capital Loss Wisp
“Sell a pet for less than you paid? A pale wisp drifts onto today’s square, quietly marking the loss.”
Note: When you sell for less than your purchase cost, you realize a capital loss. Losses can offset gains and lower your taxable income, though they don’t erase the sting of losing money.
Short-term Capital Goo Goblin
"A greedy little climber that pops out when you cash out fast, just to nab a nibble of the win."
Note: Profits from quick flips are often treated like regular income, which can mean a bigger bite than patient, long holds.
Borrow Fee Imp
"While you own a bear in Stonk Pets, a little imp nibbles your cash each day. Hard-to-borrow or pricey stocks make the imp hungrier!"
Note: Shorting means borrowing shares and paying a borrow fee, a cost as long as the short stays open. They’re not taxes, but they reduce your profits, and that also reduces what you eventually owe in real taxes.
Wash Monster
"Sell a Bull for a loss and jump back into the same ticker too soon? The wash monster eats that loss now and stuffs it into your new Bull’s cost for later!"
Note: If you sell at a loss and quickly buy the same investment, tax rules generally postpone using that loss and roll it into the new purchase instead.
Tax planning changes wealth!
Assign deduction/credit creatures to defend against the tax monsters!
Standard Drake
“Release this tiny Standard Drake, and it snatches a chunk of income for you before the monsters can even sniff it!”
Note: Almost every taxpayer gets a standard deduction, which is a fixed dollar amount (based on filing status) that automatically reduces taxable income unless you choose to itemize instead.
Saver's Root
“Grow the Saver Root after planting some cash into the savings pots.”
Note: The Saver’s Credit rewards people for contributing to retirement accounts like 401(k)s or IRAs by reducing their taxes.
Earned Income Dragon
"When you complete quests or in-game tasks, the Earned Income Dragon appears to help you fight tax monsters."
Note: The Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) is a tax credit for low-to-moderate income workers, based only on money you earn from working (like wages, salaries, or self-employment), not from investments or dividends.
Child Credit Snail
"You can only summon the Child Credit Snail if you own a Parasite Pet! Let the parasite latch on and drain some of your wealth, but keep it alive and happy, and this snail will slime away part of the tax monsters!"
Note: The Child Tax Credit is only available to taxpayers who have qualifying children, and it reduces their taxes by a fixed credit amount per child.
Medical Snail
“The Medical Deduction Snail can only be earned if the player faces a medical expense event. If the player chooses to spend some of their wealth on medical costs, the snail is unlocked."
Note: If your medical expenses are high enough compared to your income, you can deduct the extra, reducing taxable income.
Education Credit Frog
"Answer 5 questions in a row correctly in Learning Mode, and this little hopper can reduce tax damage!"
Note: Education credits reward you for spending money on qualified education (like tuition or required learning expenses). These directly cut the amount of tax you owe, dollar-for-dollar.
Student Loan Dragon
“The Student Loan Dragon is earned by playing Learning Mode. When dropped onto a year column, it reduces the tax monsters’ damage for that year.”
Note: Student loan interest deduction only applies if you are paying qualified student loans. You don’t need to be currently in school, just repaying loans counts. It reduces your taxable income, but is capped.
Hamster Bean
"Each bean pod you grow is like adding to your retirement account. In the game, every contribution sprouts its own pod, and at tax season each one cracks open to release new hamsters. The more you contribute, the more pods you can harvest."
Note: All your contributions to a 401(k) or Traditional IRA combine into one annual tax deduction, up to a set limit. You can contribute multiple times, but the IRS just totals them together for that year’s return.