Version 1.2.6: The Taxman Cometh
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Until 1.2.6 the Moneyflow economy had one wildly unrealistic feature: nobody paid tax. That is fixed. Everyone pays now, including the trust-fund kid, who had been hoping to be the exception.
Three taxes, no loopholes
Income tax comes off your salary, and it is marginal, the way real income tax is. Each slice of your pay is taxed at its own rate, so a raise never leaves you poorer than before. Side income (rent, dividends, business profit) is taxed too. And every profitable sale, whether a property, a business, a stock or a startup exit, pays capital gains on the profit. Sell at a loss and the taxman shrugs.
What a payday looks like now
Payday used to be salary plus side income minus expenses. It is now salary plus side income minus expenses minus tax, and the difference is instructive. Taylor, the software developer, pays the most tax of the ten characters and still finishes the month comfortably ahead. Sam, the restaurant worker, pays very little tax and has very little left. Avery, the trust-fund kid, has no salary at all, but the trust income is taxed and the lifestyle costs more than it brings in, so Avery goes backwards every payday. Being rich is expensive, and the tax does not help.
The escape test is after tax
The rule that lets you leave the 9 to 5 compares your side income to your expenses. From 1.2.6 it compares side income after tax, so a rental that pays $1,000 a month is worth less than $1,000 to your freedom. The financial statement spells this out, showing after-tax side income against expenses with a percentage, so you are never fooled by the headline number. Every return in the game is now judged the same way, because after tax is the only kind of return you get to spend.
Real salaries for real characters
With taxes in, the pay had to be honest, so the ten characters now earn real 2025 US salaries. The cast runs from a software developer at the top of the table to a trust-fund kid at the bottom who has never needed one, and every one of them comes with a story.
- Taylor, software developer. A tech worker with a good salary but student loans to pay off.
- Jordan, nurse. A healthcare worker with stable income and moderate debt.
- Alex, entrepreneur. Pays themselves minimum wage; the salon they own makes the real money.
- Morgan, teacher. A public school teacher with modest income and a loan forgiveness track.
- Casey, sales rep. Commission-based income with lifestyle creep.
- Riley, freelancer. A graphic designer with variable income and no benefits.
- Sam, restaurant worker. A line cook working toward culinary dreams.
- Quinn, medical resident. A future doctor with med school debt but massive earning potential.
- Jamie, military veteran. Recently discharged, using GI Bill benefits.
- Avery, trust-fund kid. Born wealthy with side income but zero work ethic.
Rents that breathe
Rents and business returns now follow the economy. In the words of the release note, they are thin in a bust and generous in a boom. A flat that pays nicely at the top of the cycle is a different flat in a recession, which is the whole reason the economy has seasons. The idea gets a new dimension in 1.2.11.
New ways to save, borrow and overspend
- Savings certificates. Park cash in a certificate of deposit and it pays you a steady, dull return. Safe, and quietly educational.
- A credit card for shortfalls. The Credit Card Offer comes with a sign-up bonus and a revolving credit line sized to your income. It catches you when cash runs out, and it charges you for the privilege.
- Market-priced student loans. When tuition comes due, the student loan is priced off the going rate, a little below it.
- A Dreams button, so the prize stays in sight.
- Clearer turn prompts, so you always know what the game is waiting for.
- Many multiplayer fixes. We will not list them. You are welcome.
The release notes, word for word
Taxes are in: income tax on your salary, 15% on side income, 15% capital gains on profitable sales. Personas now earn real 2025 US salaries. Rents and business returns follow the economy — thin in a bust, generous in a boom. Savings certificates, a credit card for shortfalls, market-priced student loans, a Dreams button, clearer turn prompts and many multiplayer fixes.
Play it now
Moneyflow is free on the App Store, free on Google Play and free in any browser. There are no ads, and you do not need an account to start.