It seems there is no escaping taxes, even if you live on a desert planet 20,000 years in the future. In Dune Awakening, along with ensuring you have enough water to survive and dodging giant sandworms, you must also ensure that you are staying on top of your taxes.
When it comes to paying Taxes in Dune Awakening, there can be a lot of confusion around the system. If you're unsure how taxes work, how much you owe and how to pay it, this guide will help explain it all.
Content:
- How to pay your Taxes
- How Tax is Calculated
- Does a second base increase taxes?
- What happens if I don’t pay tax?
- Keep taxes low
- Recap
How to Pay Your Taxes
Tax is paid in Solari, the main currency in Dune Awakening. You’ll find this currency as you travel the world. Remember, Solari is physically on your person unless you store it in a bank, so make sure to keep it safe for when tax time comes.
First, head to either Arrakeen or Harko Village, the Imperial Tax Collector is located in both locations. We have included their locations in each city in the images below (Harko on the left and Arrakeen on the right).
To pay your taxes, speak to the Tax Collector in the city of your choice (it doesn’t matter which), and select “I’d like to pay my taxes”. This will then bring up the menu where you can see how much you owe.
From this point, you have three options:
- Close the window and don’t pay your tax
- Pay a partial amount of the invoice (mostly used to clear off the oldest part of the debt if you are overdue)
- Pay the full invoice
Once you are done, you will be presented with a new view of your next tax deadline. Below, we’ve shown an example of how that might look.
It’s also worth noting that you can check if your tax is due via your own base by heading to your Advanced Sub-Fief console panel, where it will be displayed in the “Base Shields” section (see the image at the start of the next section).
Note: There’s a delay before tax changes take effect, whether they increase or decrease. The exact time is unknown, but it's safer to assume that at a minimum each cycle you owe the value shown.
How Tax is Calculated
The most confusing part about the tax system in Dune Awakening is how the tax is calculated. While Funcom has yet to release an official breakdown, we do know the things that trigger an increase, though knowing the exact formula isn’t possible.
There are a few factors that affect the amount of tax we need to pay:
- A standard “base” rate of tax is applied, so even a 1x1 box still pays tax - this base rate is 2,500 Solari
- The number of expansions to your base is the largest increase in the cost, at around 2000 Solari per expansion
- The zone impacts the tax; early zones with lower yields require a smaller tax payment. Later game zones will cost you more
- Items in your base do affect the tax, though only by a small sum
- There is a grace period on tax, you won’t see the impact of changes instantly
- Tax is due every 12 to 14 days (our testing suggests 12, but some reports still say 14). It used to be every 7 days, but recent changes or patches seem to have extended it.
Does a Second Base Increase Taxes?
Yes, each base you own comes with its own tax bill. The cost is based on the same factors as your main base: size, expansion slots, objects placed, and the zone it’s built in. There is no second base discount, so bear that in mind. You can also pay each bases tax bill separately.
If you do build a second base, keep it small and compact. Try to avoid having two huge bases. If you follow our base location guidelines, then it’s worth “stripping” your old base when you move.
What Happens if I Don’t Pay Tax?
If you miss your tax period and enter the next period of tax, your base is placed inside a “grace period.” You can still pay the overdue tax or partially pay it. The grace period is two weeks, with the final set of taxes due in the third week. If you pay on time, you’ll get around 28-30 days before facing shutdown.
It’s not a set number, as it depends on when you pay the latest installment, but you get four weeks of game resets to deal with your tax.
Here is a real example of how it worked for us. This is based on our experience as of 19 June 2025, it may be subject to change.
- Shown in the image above, we paid our tax on the Wednesday after the reset, after which we had around 11 days without it
- We then have that period free of tax (11 days, 19 hours)
- After the first 12 days have elapsed, you will get your next tax invoice
- From this point on, you are now behind on your taxes
- The Grace Period has now started, and you have a further 12 days to pay at least that initial debt via a partial payment
- Making sure to pay off the initial debt will reset your Grace Period
- Once you fail to pay this second period of tax (note it might be three, but no one has actually hit this limit as of writing), within either 24 or 36 days, your base will be powered down
- Once that happens, your base becomes vulnerable, and other players can loot it or destroy it for materials.
Note: If you go offline for a month (around 29 days), either the Tax Collector or the storm is going to start to destroy your base. So try to keep your time away from the game to just a few weeks.
If we were able to suggest one fix for this system, we would allow the Tax Collector to take money from your Solari Bank once you default on your first set of taxes. However, the power issue would still wipe your base out eventually anyway. Though given your base can only be fueled for 30 days with power, it's unlikely to make a huge difference.
Ultimately, it’s not a huge issue, and the cost is fairly low, all things considered.
How can I keep Taxes low?
There aren’t any perks or guaranteed ways to reduce tax, but you can be smart about your build.
The first way is to just build your base efficiently. Keep your base compact, don’t go for flair and grand designs. This can also be improved by picking a good location to start with, thus reducing your need for expansion slots.
Playing with friends or a guild is another great way to spread the cost. Many guilds have solid communities and will allow players of their guild to use the shared space. This can mean you can set up a smaller satellite base nearby and then use the guild's larger resource pool to use higher-tier machinery.
Quick Recap
- Taxes are paid at Arrakeen or Harko Village via the Tax Collector
- You can pay partially or in full
- Tax is due roughly every 12–14 days
- There’s a grace period if you miss a payment, but after around 30 days, your base will power down
- Build efficiently to lower your tax
- Work in a group to share the cost
- Only build what you need
