Merry Tax Day, fellow law-abiding citizens.
As national observances go, Tax Day could use a rebrand.
Some traditions to make it more fun for the kids.
Image: Photo: Shutterstock Graphics: Vicky Leta
Well adorn our tax-mas trees with 1040s and W-2s.
Children will hang their stock portfolios from the mantle.
The naughty dependents get penalties while the nice ones get deductions.
Charitable families will take a day to serve soup at the local tax shelter.
We already have a bearded mascot for the occasion.
Who wouldnt want Uncle Sam to slither down the chimney with surprise audits?
The most wonderful time of the fiscal year.
The goal of the game is to pay as little of your paycheck as possible to a tax collector.
Apparently kids love a good white-collar crime, because the game took off.
It was distributed as an educational program for the Apple II and reproduced under many other titles for years.
Although designed for kids, the game isnt easy.
Mathematicians have been publishing papers about it as recently as 2023 and still dont know an optimal strategy.
This week, youre tasked with finding an optimal strategy for a specific small instance of The Taxman Game.
File wisely and make your accountant proud.
Did you miss last weeks puzzle?
Check it outhere, and find its solution at the bottom of todays article.
Be careful not to read too far ahead if you havent solved last weeks yet!
The Tax Collector must be able to take some paycheck on every turn.
What is the largest amount of money it’s possible for you to claim for yourself in this game?
Ill be back next Monday with the solution and a new puzzle.
Do you know a cool puzzle that you think should be featured here?
Shout-out to Belenos for finding the natural answer and accompanying it with a convincing explanation.
Only Eugenius and spudbean got the bonus puzzle of the worst starting hand that still forces a win.
Nice work all around.
Ill lay out the argument with four 10s.
News from the future, delivered to your present.
