diff --git a/src/functional_tests/test_game_my_sea.py b/src/functional_tests/test_game_my_sea.py
index 9a91fd2..03bec9d 100644
--- a/src/functional_tests/test_game_my_sea.py
+++ b/src/functional_tests/test_game_my_sea.py
@@ -1234,12 +1234,27 @@ class MySeaLockHandTest(FunctionalTest):
         """Post-lock UX: a Look!-formatted Brief banner appears atop the
         h2 (standard portaled `.note-banner` w. Gaussian-glass bg, same
         styling as my-notes / my-sign default-deck-warning Briefs). The
-        next-free-draw timestamp lives in the dedicated `.note-banner__
+        spend-moment timestamp lives in the dedicated `.note-banner__
         timestamp` `<time>` slot (note.js's standard datetime element),
         formatted by JS to `D, M j @ g:i A` shape — e.g. "Wed, May 20 @
         11:57 PM". Tagged `.my-sea-locked-banner` so this FT disambiguates
-        from any other Briefs that may stack on the page."""
+        from any other Briefs that may stack on the page.
+
+        Sprint 2026-05-26 (@taxman ledger) update — the Brief banner is
+        now server-driven via the `free_draw_brief_payload` context var,
+        which surfaces ONLY when a TAX_LEDGER Brief exists for the user.
+        `my_sea_lock` emits one automatically on the first card of a
+        cycle; this FT bypasses `my_sea_lock` by ORM-creating the
+        MySeaDraw row, so it must ALSO seed the matching tax-debit
+        Brief explicitly (mirrors what `my_sea_lock` would have done)."""
         self._save_draw_for_user()
+        # Seed the TAX_LEDGER Brief the server-driven my_sea.html template
+        # gates on. Without this, `free_draw_brief_payload` is None in
+        # context + no banner renders. (Real `my_sea_lock` calls log_tax_
+        # debit on the first-card-of-cycle branch — this FT bypasses that
+        # path by ORM-creating MySeaDraw, so the seed has to be manual.)
+        from apps.billboard.tax import log_tax_debit
+        log_tax_debit(self.gamer, "free_draw_locked")
         self.create_pre_authenticated_session(self.email)
         self.browser.get(self.live_server_url + "/gameboard/my-sea/")
         brief = self.wait_for(