TL;DR
- You need 35,000+ Crowns and must be in the Oxenfurt market to trigger this quest.
- A tax collector named Walthemor Mitty will ask you three yes or no questions.
- Answer No to at least two questions to avoid paying taxes and get a Diploma.
- Answer Yes to two or more and you will owe 1,000 Crowns at Vivaldi Bank.
- Paying your taxes gives an extra 100 XP on top of the base 50 XP reward.
- This is a Hearts of Stone expansion quest. It does not appear in the base game.
What Is The Taxman Cometh in Witcher 3?
The Taxman Cometh is a short secondary quest in the Hearts of Stone expansion for The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt. It is one of the more humorous quests in the game. It was added by CD Projekt Red as a direct nod to some of the most well-known gold farming exploits players discovered in the game.
If you have been grinding Crowns and have amassed a fortune, this quest will find you. You cannot start it manually. It triggers on its own when the right conditions are met.
The quest is listed as Suggested Level 32 and is located in the Oxenfurt market area in the Novigrad region.
How to Unlock The Taxman Cometh
There are two conditions you must meet for this quest to trigger:
- You must have the Hearts of Stone DLC installed.
- Geralt must be carrying 35,000 Crowns or more in his inventory.
- You must walk through the Oxenfurt market.
Once both boxes are checked, a cutscene will play. A man in fine black and white clothing named Walthemor Mitty, Deputy Tax Enumerator, will stop Geralt and begin questioning him about a suspicious income discrepancy.
Note: If you spend your Crowns below the 35,000 threshold before entering Oxenfurt, the quest will not trigger. You can also accidentally start this quest mid-chase during Contract: The Oxenfurt Drunk. It will interrupt the chase briefly but will not affect that contract’s outcome.
Also, if you are wondering how to build your Crowns fast in the first place, check out our Witcher 3 Crown Farming Guide for the best methods.
All Three Questions and Best Answers
Walthemor Mitty will ask Geralt exactly three yes or no questions. Each one references a real money-making exploit that players found in The Witcher 3.
The outcome depends on how many times you say Yes. Answer Yes to two or more and you owe taxes. Answer No to two or more and you walk free. There is no set order you must follow when picking your answers.
Question 1 – The Rawhide Trade
“Have you at any time engaged in the wholesale trade of rawhide in the White Orchard area?”
Best Answer: No, never.
This question references the famous cow-killing exploit. Players discovered that killing cows in White Orchard, selling their hides and milk, then letting them respawn and doing it again was a very fast way to earn a lot of Crowns early in the game. CD Projekt Red actually added a monster called the Bovine Defense Force Initiative (Chort) to punish players who abused this. This question is a direct joke about that whole situation.
Question 2 – The Pearl Trade
“Have you ever engaged in the acquisition of bivalves with the express intention of selling the pearls therein?” / “Have you, or have you not, dealt in said pearls?”
Best Answer: No, never.
This is a reference to the seashell and pearl exploit. Players would buy seashells from vendors, dismantle them to get pearls, and then sell those pearls back at a much higher price for easy profit. It was a simple loop that required very little effort.
Question 3 – The Looting of Homes
“Have you ever waltzed into someone’s home and taken something without their permission?”
Best Answer: No, nuh-uh, never.
This one is a wink at the fact that players can freely walk into any home in The Witcher 3 and loot whatever they find. NPCs barely react. It is a classic open-world game behaviour and Mitty knows it.
Quick Answer Reference Table
- Question 1 (Rawhide/Cows): No, never.
- Question 2 (Pearls/Seashells): No, never.
- Question 3 (Looting Homes): No, nuh-uh, never.
What Happens Based on Your Answers
Outcome 1: Answer No to Two or More Questions
Mitty will be satisfied. He will award Geralt the Taxpayer in Good Standing Diploma, a commemorative vellum document. The quest ends immediately.
You earn 50 XP and pay nothing. You keep full access to Vivaldi Bank and can continue playing Gwent with Vimme Vivaldi.
The Diploma does not have any in-game use. It cannot be displayed at Corvo Bianco vineyard (from the Blood and Wine DLC). It is essentially a fun trophy and nothing more.
Outcome 2: Answer Yes to Two or More Questions
Mitty will hand Geralt a Summons to Payment. This means Geralt must go to the Vivaldi Bank in Hierarch Square, Novigrad and pay 1,000 Crowns in back taxes to Vimme Vivaldi.
Important: Until you pay the fine, Vimme Vivaldi will refuse to do business with you at all. That means no coin exchange, no banking, and not even a game of Gwent. This can block some players who rely on Vivaldi for currency conversion.
Once you pay the 1,000 Crowns, you earn an extra 100 XP on top of the base 50 XP, for a total of 150 XP.
If you need help with the Gwent side of the game, take a look at our Witcher 3 Remastered – How to Get Every Gwent Card guide.
Which Outcome Is Actually Better?
Most players will want to deny all three questions and avoid paying taxes entirely. You get your Diploma, keep bank access, and the quest is over in seconds.
However, if you want the most XP, admitting to two or three exploits and paying the 1,000 Crown fine gives you 100 extra XP. Given that you need 35,000 Crowns to even trigger this quest, 1,000 Crowns is a very small price to pay for the bonus experience.
Our recommendation: if you are focused on levelling up quickly, say Yes to two questions and pay the fine. If you just want to get it done fast and keep bank access, say No to all three. For general levelling tips, see our Witcher 3 Remastered Level Up Guide.
Why Does This Quest Exist?
The Taxman Cometh was added to Hearts of Stone as a humorous in-universe joke. Each of the three questions is a direct reference to real exploits that the Witcher 3 community found and used to farm gold.
CD Projekt Red acknowledged these exploits through this quest instead of simply patching them out. It is one of the most community-aware moments in the entire game. Fans found it genuinely funny to see the developers call them out like this through an in-game tax collector.
Things to Know Before You Start
- This quest requires the Hearts of Stone DLC. It will not appear if you only have the base game.
- The Nintendo Switch 2 version of the game also includes Hearts of Stone. Check out the official Nintendo page for The Witcher 3 Wild Hunt Remastered for more details on what is included.
- The quest can fire during Contract: The Oxenfurt Drunk mid-chase. Just answer the questions and then continue the contract. It does not fail anything.
- If you have not yet paid a tax summons and you try to use Vivaldi Bank for anything, he will refuse until the fine is cleared.
- The Taxpayer in Good Standing Diploma cannot be displayed anywhere. It just sits in your inventory as a fun item.
Related Witcher 3 Guides
If you are working through more of The Witcher 3 Remastered, these guides will help:
- Witcher 3 Remastered Bank Guide – Florens, Orens, and Crowns
- Witcher 3 Wild Hunt – Scenes from a Marriage Walkthrough
- Witcher 3 – All Quests in Order: Complete Main Quest List
- Witcher 3 Remastered – All Endings Guide
- Witcher 3 – How Long to Beat All DLCs
- Witcher 3 Remastered – Ultimate Achievement Guide
- Witcher 3 – All Missable Gwent Cards
- Witcher 3 Remastered – All Romance Options
FAQs – The Taxman Cometh
Do I need Hearts of Stone to get The Taxman Cometh?
Yes. This quest is part of the Hearts of Stone expansion. It will not trigger if you only own the base game.
How many Crowns do I need to trigger this quest?
You need at least 35,000 Crowns in Geralt’s inventory. If you spend your gold below that amount before entering Oxenfurt, the quest will not start.
What is the best answer for The Taxman Cometh?
Say No to all three questions. You avoid paying anything, keep full access to Vivaldi Bank, and still earn 50 XP. If you want extra XP, say Yes to two questions and pay the 1,000 Crown fine for a total of 150 XP.
What happens if I don’t pay my tax summons?
Vimme Vivaldi will refuse to interact with you at all. You will not be able to exchange currency or play Gwent with him until the fine is paid.
Can I display the Taxpayer in Good Standing Diploma at Corvo Bianco?
No. Despite what the taxman says about framing it, the Diploma cannot actually be displayed anywhere in the game. It stays in your inventory.
Can this quest happen during The Oxenfurt Drunk contract?
Yes, it can trigger mid-chase. Just answer the questions and the chase will continue. It does not fail the contract.
What level should I be for The Taxman Cometh?
The suggested level is 32. However, since it is a conversation-only quest with no combat, any level can complete it as long as the Crown requirement is met.
Do the questions reference real exploits?
Yes. All three questions reference actual gold farming methods players used in The Witcher 3. CD Projekt Red added this quest as a humorous acknowledgment of the community finding those exploits.
