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I remember reading something on this before but can't find it now. I'm puzzled trying to work out the effect of the tax collectors after realising that my first assessment of their impact was totally wrong. After doing a few tests, I have worked out this

a) Increase in province taxes +1D (payable monthly)
b) Increase in goods production +1D (payable monthly)
c) Increase in census tax (same as province taxes but paid annually).

They also have a +3 modifier to revolt risk.

Apart from this I've noticed that some provinces give a +2D effect to a) and c) - Tago in my test - and others seem to give a +2D effect after a few years. Can anyone explain why this might be?

Otherwise, the income from tax collectors is +3D giving a pay-back period of 18 years. Have I missed anything?
 
I believe your calculations are correct...depending on how the taxation algorithm rounds its numbers, it takes around 20 years to recoup the investment expenditure for a tax collector. But they are a prerequisite to later officials (such as Mayors), so there is a reason to build them, though perhaps not in *every* province.

Regards,
Maturin
 
Originally posted by Coeur de Lion
After doing a few tests, I have worked out this

a) Increase in province taxes +1D (payable monthly)
b) Increase in goods production +1D (payable monthly)
c) Increase in census tax (same as province taxes but paid annually).

They also have a +3 modifier to revolt risk.

*- Well, I guess it's correct (since that is what my beta FAQ page sais about the Tax collector ;))

Apart from this I've noticed that some provinces give a +2D effect to a) and c) - Tago in my test - and others seem to give a +2D effect after a few years. Can anyone explain why this might be?

*- Yes, it's because your stability modifier (+10% at +2 and +25% at +3) create certain treashold values due to roundings, that sometimes means you get +2.

Otherwise, the income from tax collectors is +3D giving a pay-back period of 18 years. Have I missed anything?

*- Yes, you missed the part about Infrastructure Efficiency, which means you only get a fraction of your monthly trade incomes (starts out at 19% at lvl 0 IIRC). Thus, the return rate is more like 20-24 years (depending on your Infrastructure %).
 
Originally posted by Maturin
But they are a prerequisite to later officials (such as Mayors)

Yes and No.

Taxcollectors are required for Chief Judges, but NOT for upgrading your Mayor to a Governor.
 
I found that promoting tax collectors can be a bit dangerous for pagan provinces. Since there is no way to control tolerance towards the pagans and tax collectors increase the revolt risk by 3, you really need to watch your stability and invest in features to reduce revolt risk (promote judges and build manufactories) if you are planning to promote a tax collector in a pagan province.

I found out the hard way when I took over Japan and southern India. Once the conquest was complete, I promoted tax collectors in all the new provinces and within a few years, I was hit with series of random events that dropped my stability to -3. For the next several years, I spent a lot of money to put down the revolts in Asia, costing me more than what I had gained from the tax collectors.