Open Ledger, an accounting software firm, has introduced a new product geared towards tax day. The product is called PokéTax, a game designed to make tax filing more engaging. Instead of traditional tax forms, the game presents users with challenges from "Tax Trainers" who are akin to gym leaders, each representing sections of a tax form such as income, deductions, and credits. Users are required to answer questions posed by these leaders to complete their tax filing process.
Pryce Adade-Yebesi, co-founder of Open Ledger, shared with TechCrunch that upon completion of the game, players are directed to the IRS Direct File site for official submission. The game is inspired by the open-source Pokémon game, Pokémon Showdown, and Adade-Yebesi emphasized the legitimacy of the product, stating it is not meant as an April Fool’s joke.
Adade-Yebesi, along with Ashtyn Bell, established Open Ledger earlier in the year and secured a $3 million funding round led by Kindred Ventures and Black Ventures. Adade-Yebesi noted that the game started as a playful idea among the team, questioning whether such a concept could be realized, and ultimately finding success.
An AI assistant is incorporated in the game to help organize user responses, and players earn badges, representing discoveries of new deductions, as they progress through interactions with the Tax Trainers.
Turning tax filing into a game is a unique endeavor, as demonstrated in 2023 by another game, Tax Heaven 3000, which adopted a dating-style format with an avatar named Iris to assist users in filling tax forms, albeit only for the 2022 tax year.
Adade-Yebesi hopes that by incorporating enjoyment into financial tasks, the processes will become more engaging and less draining. Tax submissions are due by April 15.