At the best of times, tax returns are absolutely dreadful. Anyone who conducts their own business — whether it be as a full time gig or some freelance on the side — knows just how soul-destroying it can be to fill in the seemingly endless list of forms, with the only end result being the transfer of money over to Mr. Tax Man. Unless the delightful word ‘rebate’ is involved, it’s never the most rewarding experience.
Folks in Japan seem to agree, with some expressing their wish that Nintendo could gamify the whole process to make it more bearable. In a Twitter post, @sanmomo_shi_tog stated that “as it has been said before, when Nintendo develops the software supervised by the National Tax Agency, “First Tax Return,” you may not hear such a scream at the end of the fiscal year” (thanks, Automaton).
At the time of writing, the joke has been retweeted more than 13,000 times, with many users sharing the same sentiments: “it’ll sell like hotcakes to adults at the end of each fiscal year” and “speedruns would be a lot of fun” were just two of the more positive reactions to the suggestion.
Nintendo has a history of providing games that promote education and wellbeing, with some key examples being Dr. Kawashima’s Brain Training, Wii Fit, and Game Builder Garage. In more recent years, Nintendo have focused on ‘traditional’ games a lot more, but many users reckon their experience in the field would translate well to the tax return process. Maybe they could throw an animated Nodon or bunny or Balance Board or something in there, at the very least!
As for us, we’re in two minds. Yes, there’s absolutely no doubt that the tax return process could be spiced up a little, and Nintendo would probably be our first choice to take on the challenge. However, there’s an awful lot that goes into a tax return, and we’re a little sceptical that such a complex process could be simplified in a way that makes it fun yet still retains the vital information it needs to avoid penalties.
Then again, having Waluigi pop in to point out where we messed up might take the sting out of it. “You took a second job to cover your rising outgoings?! Bwahahahahaha!“
What do you think? Do you need to fill in a tax return each year? Do you think a company like Nintendo could make the process more fun? Let us know in the usual place.
