Gamblers on winning lists found by the taxman: winnings declaration required

Finland’s tax authorities are creating havoc and possibly even annoyance with their recent planning; they demand that online and land poker winnings should be declared by chosen citizens who play poker.

According to a tax official reporting to the newspaper Helsingin Sanomat, the gamblers who received the letters from the tax authorities were chosen from the list of winners appearing in Internet and brick and mortar gambling websites and media. 

It does seem, according to the message board and comments from other players, that the letters were received by several dozen players in Finland, and required them to declare their last five years’ winnings.

According to the leading officials, Raimo Kinnunen and Taneli Lallukka of the tax administration in Finland and who explained to Helsingin Sanomat, the declaration demand refers to winnings made not with the European Economic zone.

According to the chairman of the Poker Players’ Association in Finland, Mikko Hirvonen, the vague demand and the brief schedule advanced have produced a lot of criticism. While the deadline for replying is middle August, numerous players only got the letter last Monday.

A certain amount of bewilderment clouds over with the query whether it’s enough for a non taxable status that is registered by the poker tournament’s organizer in the European Economic Area, and whether the tournament license’s application has also to come from the European Economic Area. According to Lalluka, the issue has to be interpreted because no lawful precedents currently exist. The current resolving factor is if the game’s organizer has taken out registration.

There is also uncertainty for gamblers whether for tax purposes they can subtract losses, and on this point Lallukka reported to the paper that a full time gambler can make deductions solely for losses resulting from gambling played outside the European Economic Area from winnings attained outside it. Only the participation charges of the relevant games can be deducted for amateur gamblers.

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