Where to go (Arrakeen/Harko), how often they’re due, partial vs full payments, and the real travel costs
Last updated: August 25, 2025
If you stake a claim on Arrakis, you owe the Emperor. In Dune: Awakening, that means periodic Solari taxes tied to each Sub‑Fief (your base’s claim). Pay on time and your base shields stay up; fall behind and the Sardaukar cut your power, making your place a chew toy for sandstorms and opportunistic raiders. This guide walks you through exactly where to go to pay, how the timing works, what partial vs. full payments do, and how to minimize travel costs—with tips to avoid ever seeing your base powered down.
TL;DR (bookmark this section)
- Where to pay: Travel to Arrakeen or Harko Village and speak to the Imperial Tax Representative/Tax Collector inside the consulate. You can get there via the Taxi Ornithopter from any Tradepost (2,500 Solari; return trip is free) or fly your own thopter.
- What you can pay: Choose to pay per Sub‑Fief (one base at a time) or pay everything you owe at once. Partial payments are allowed and are useful if you’re overdue.
- How often: Expect a ~12–14‑day tax cycle per Sub‑Fief, followed by roughly another 12 days of grace. If you ignore taxes for ~28–30 days, shields get disabled and your base is vulnerable.
- Check your timer: Interact with your Sub‑Fief console to see what you owe and the deadline.
- Travel cost reality: If you taxi both ways every cycle you’ll spend 2,500 Solari per payment run (return is free). Owning your own thopter saves money long‑term.
1) Where to pay: Arrakeen & Harko, with exact directions
You cannot pay taxes from the field. You must visit a major hub and talk to the tax official.
Getting there
- Taxi Ornithopter (fastest early on): Speak to the Ornithopter Pilot at any Tradepost (earliest is Griffin’s Reach in Hagga Basin South). The fare is 2,500 Solari to fly to Arrakeen or Harko Village; return flight to a Tradepost is free. Bring extra Solari for the actual tax bill.
- Your own Ornithopter (cheapest over time): Fly to the edge of the map to open the world‑map travel prompt and select Arrakeen or Harko. This avoids the taxi fee entirely and is the recommended long‑term solution.
Once you arrive, how to find the Tax Collector
- Arrakeen: Head to the Imperial Consulate. The Tax Collector is in the north‑western room on the ground floor; interact and choose “I’d like to pay my taxes.”
- Harko Village: Also inside the Imperial Consulate—the southeasternmost room on the ground floor. Same interaction to pay.
Tip: The official shows up on your map, and both hubs have the same service—use whichever is closer to your current activities.
2) What you’re paying for (and how it’s calculated)
Taxes are paid in Solari and scale with your base footprint: Sub‑Fief size, expansions, zone, and placed items all nudge the bill. Method’s testing suggests a base rate around 2,500 Solari, with each expansion adding roughly ~2,000 Solari; late‑game zones cost more while items add a smaller amount.
A few important nuances:
- Multiple bases = multiple invoices. Each Sub‑Fief has its own tax line. You can pay one base at a time or clear them all in a single visit.
- What about “basic” vs. “advanced” Sub‑Fiefs?
- Some players report basic Sub‑Fiefs (especially in South Hagga) do not incur tax, while advanced (expandable) Sub‑Fiefs do.
- Other guides state you’ll owe on any Sub‑Fief. Bottom line: check your Sub‑Fief console for the amount and due date on your server/build.
Bring your wallet—but safely. Solari is carried on your character unless you deposit it in a bank. Don’t roam the desert with your entire tax stash; withdraw at a hub just before paying.
3) How often taxes are due (and what happens if you miss)
The current cadence
- Most reliable testing and community reports put the tax cycle at ~12–14 days per Sub‑Fief.
- If you miss the due date, there’s roughly a 12‑day grace period where shields stay up and you can still pay (partial or full). If you keep ignoring it for ~28–30 days total, your shields power down and the base starts to decay and can be looted.
After shields go down
- Your base doesn’t vanish instantly: it takes days of deterioration (storms, exposure, and other players) to fully collapse—but once shields are off, the clock is ticking.
Check your clock at home: Interact with your Sub‑Fief console to see exactly what you owe and the time remaining. That’s the authoritative timer for your base.
4) Partial vs. full payments (and how to “triage” when overdue)
When you speak to the Tax Collector, you’ll get options to:
- Pay a single Sub‑Fief invoice,
- Pay all Sub‑Fiefs at once, or
- Pay partially (useful if you’re behind).
Smart triage when you’re late:
- Clear the oldest debt first. Players and testers report partial payments can wipe the earliest overdue slice of your invoice and reset the grace window, buying you time to gather the rest.
- No auto‑pay. The system will not deduct from your bank; you must visit in person and press the button.
- You can’t massively pre‑pay in advance. You pay what’s due this cycle (or overdue), per Sub‑Fief. If you plan a long break, see the checklist at the end.
5) Travel costs, the hidden tax, and how to reduce them
Early on, travel can cost as much as the tax itself. If your cycle is every ~two weeks and you taxi each time, you’ll spend 2,500 Solari per visit (return is free). Over a month that’s ~5,000 Solari just to show up—significant if your base owes ~2,500–4,000 per cycle. Getting your own ornithopter pays for itself quickly.
Practical ways to cut travel costs:
- Own a thopter. Fly to the edge of the map to enter Arrakeen/Harko—no fare.
- Batch errands. Combine tax trips with runs to the Exchange or Landsraad so you’re not flying just to pay a bill. (Arrakeen/Harko are dense hubs worth visiting anyway.)
- Carry only what you need. Withdraw Solari at a bank in the hub so you’re not traveling fat with cash in the open desert.
Early‑game reality check: Some guides note that in the very early game, the fare may exceed a small tax bill—another reason to progress to your own thopter quickly.
6) How to keep your tax bill low (so you pay less, less often)
- Build compact. Expansions (staking slots) are the biggest cost driver; every extra slot adds ~2,000 Solari per cycle. Plan vertically, keep pathways tight, and ditch vanity space.
- Choose location wisely. Early‑zone bases (Hagga South/North) tend to incur lower tax than late‑game zones.
- Fewer placeables. Items placed in the base contribute a little to tax; don’t spam décor on your work base.
- Group up. Guilds/settlements let you share space and machines, so your personal base can be smaller and cheaper.
Special cases: Many players report Deep Desert bases are tax‑exempt (because the Coriolis Storm wipes the Deep Desert weekly anyway), but they’re inherently temporary and risky. Use them for end‑game ops, not as your only home.
7) Step‑by‑step: Your first (or next) tax run
- Check your console. At home, interact with your Sub‑Fief console to see exactly how much and when it’s due. Screenshot or jot the amount.
- Bank smart. If you’ve been stockpiling Solari in the wild, deposit it at a local bank; only withdraw what you’ll need in the city to avoid losing it to PvP mishaps en route.
- Get to the hub.
- Taxi (2,500 Solari) from any Tradepost; return is free.
- Own Thopter: Fly to map edge and select Arrakeen or Harko.
- Find the Tax Collector.
- Arrakeen: NW ground floor room of the Consulate.
- Harko Village: SE‑most ground floor room of the Consulate.
- Pay wisely.
- On time? Consider pay all to clear everything.
- Behind? Use partial to clear the oldest overdue slice and reset the grace window; then farm the rest.
- Before you leave: Restock, craft, and hit the Exchange—make the most of the trip.
8) How to avoid base shutdown (even if you’re going AFK or on vacation)
- Know the timeline. Budget for a ~12–14‑day cycle plus ~12 days grace, but treat 28–30 days as the hard danger zone where shields drop and decay starts.
- Set a rhythm. Tie your tax run to a weekly play routine (e.g., Landsraad visit, Exchange flips). Even if your cycle is ~12 days, weekly check‑ins keep you far from the danger line.
- Shrink, don’t sprawl. If you’re short on time, remove expansions and placeables you don’t need to lower next cycle’s bill. (Tax adjustments can take a cycle to reflect, so plan ahead.)
- Downshift when needed. If you truly won’t play for a while, consider consolidating to a small, compact base (some players even revert to a basic Sub‑Fief to avoid/limit taxes; confirm on your server).
- Don’t rely on auto‑pay. There isn’t one—even with Solari in the bank, nothing gets paid unless you talk to the Collector.
Reality check: Once shields are off, the base often lasts days before it truly collapses, but you’re exposed the whole time—raids, storms, and scavengers. Don’t test your luck.
9) FAQs
Q: Can I pay months in advance?
A: No. You can pay what’s due (and anything overdue), per Sub‑Fief. Partial and full options are your tools—not subscriptions.
Q: Is the taxi fare round‑trip?
A: You pay 2,500 Solari to get to Arrakeen/Harko; the return to a Tradepost is free. Owning a thopter removes this cost entirely.
Q: Where exactly inside the hubs?
A: Inside the Imperial Consulate: NW ground floor in Arrakeen; SE‑most ground floor in Harko.
Q: How much tax will I pay?
A: It varies by base. A rough base rate ~2,500 Solari plus ~2,000 per expansion is a good mental model; late‑game zones trend higher. Check your Sub‑Fief console for your exact figure.
Q: If I miss the deadline by a little, am I doomed?
A: No—there’s a grace window to catch up. But once you push ~28–30 days without paying, shields go down and decay begins.
10) Starter checklist for safe, efficient tax payments
- [ ] Check Sub‑Fief console for amount & due date.
- [ ] Bank your Solari; only withdraw at the city before paying.
- [ ] Choose Taxi (2,500 Solari; free return) or Thopter (free).
- [ ] Arrakeen NW or Harko SE Consulate room → Tax Collector.
- [ ] If overdue, partial‑pay oldest first; then plan a farm loop.
- [ ] While in the hub, use the Exchange and refuel/resupply so the trip isn’t just a bill pay.
Final word
Taxes in Dune: Awakening are less about draining your wallet and more about keeping you engaged with the hubs. Once you build a routine—check your console, fly in, pay smart (partial if needed), and bundle errands—the whole system becomes a quick pit stop rather than a crisis. Keep your build lean, invest in your own thopter, and you’ll never see the Sardaukar reach for your off switch again.
