EU officials have spent up to £90,000 on a bizarre SimCity-style game which teaches kids about taxes.

The absurd simulation Taxlandia lets the player pretend to be the Prime Minister of a fake country in crisis over a tax rebellion.

8 This bizarre new game aims to teach young people about how to run a country Credit: Taxlandia/European Union

Described as an “educational simulation game”, it was developed as part of a European Commission project to “explain and promote tax education” to young people.

The tiny European state in which the game is set, with its gorgeous mountains and clear blue lakes, suffered from historically low taxes - which tempted companies to move their headquarters there and discouraged tourism.

Now the user is in charge of getting money into the coffers, building new schools and hospitals, and keeping pollution and crime under control.

If you don't work it out, the country goes bankrupt, or the people revolt against their leader and kick you out.

8 Build new schools, hospitals and green spaces to keep the locals happy Credit: Taxlandia/European Union

8 The player can raise or lower taxes to spend it on other things - but at their own risk Credit: Taxlandia/European Union

It’s part of a wider project called TAXEDU, funded by the EU to promote economics to kids from nine and up - through games, e-learning activities and other resources.

A whopping £445,000 (€500,000) was spent on running the whole thing, which comes in 22 different languages.

And a further £40,000 (€45,000) is being spent to keep it maintained.

Up to 20 per cent of that budget was spent on the game alone, The Sun can reveal, which works out at around £89,000.

The money was made available through the European Parliament, who came up with the idea.

The European Parliament's Budget comes from the main EU Budget - funded directly from member countries like Britain, import duties on products from outside of the bloc, and fines imposed on businesses.

8 Welcome to Taxlandia - the made-up state where the player is Prime Minister Credit: Taxlandia/European Union

8 You win points for completing various tasks - like raising employment and boosting happiness Credit: Taxlandia/European Union

Ukip's economics spokesman Jonathan Arnott said it was "utterly reprehensible" for the EU to be "promoting a political agenda to children through an online game".

He told The Sun:"The game teaches children that low taxes and persuading new companies to invest in a country are bad things, whilst bizarrely appearing to claim that tourism suffers when taxes are low.

"It's fairytale economics being peddled as fact - the kind of 'education' that is normally associated with communist totalitarianism, coincidentally also known for its high tax rates.

"With the advent of Taxlandia, they have moved from the realm of propaganda into brainwashing."

"The irony is that it is indeed our taxes that are paying for this."

8 You need to keep the people of the country happy - that includes keeping them in work Credit: Taxlandia/European Union

8 Whoops! If you make the people unhappy, they kick you out of the job. Hopefully you have learned your lesson...

A European Commission official said: “The recently launched TAXEDU portal is an interactive way to teach kids and young adults about taxation and public finances, and why they are so important.

“We believe that young people should be aware of where their local swimming pools, schools and playgrounds come from.

“The portal is full of e-learning tools, games, videos and educational material about tax for teachers to use in schools."

The game comes as an app for Apple and Android, and also can be played online.

8 The money came from the European Parliament's Budget, which is part-funded by member states Credit: Getty Images

MOST READ IN POLITICS Latest 'PERILOUS POINT' PM warns stricter rules likely to last 6 MONTHS ruining Xmas for millions Latest COVER UP Boris doubles face masks fines to £200 and forces pubgoers to wear them SCOTS BAN Sturgeon bans friends & family visits in Scotland saying -Boris' rules not enough MASKING THE ISSUE Face mask exemptions: Who doesn't have to wear one in the UK? KEEPIE OUTTIE Indoor five-a-side football banned from Thursday as PM tightens ‘rule of six’ LOCKED UP AGAIN New lockdown rules explained: Everything you can and can’t do now Latest LAST ORDERS Pubs to close at 10pm across England as covid alert level RISES to 4 XMAS 'GIFT' PM to consider lifting 'rule of six' on Xmas so families can celebrate together HOME OFFICE Brits told to 'work from home if you can' as PM set to slap 10pm curfew on pubs STAY AT HOME £500 for low-income Brits to self-isolate and stop spread of coronavirus

They went on: "As part of this broader project, we hope that kids will enjoy the TAXLANDIA interactive game in which players can pretend they are in charge for a day and make decisions about tax collection and how those taxes are spent.

"We want to help spark an interest in tax matters and get young people involved in the decisions that will shape their future."

Earlier this year The Sun revealed how the EU spent £1.8million on promoting potatoes with a bizarre ad campaign which stars the vegetables as sex objects.

The "Love Potatoes" campaign has seen posters go up around the country advertising potatoes as "fat-free and easy".