Swedish Tax Authorities Crack Down on Poker Players

Swedish Tax Authorities Crack Down on Poker Players November 23, 2012 November 23, 2012 Tim Glocks https://www.poker-online.com/author/tim
Posted on  Nov 23, 2012 | Updated on  Nov 23, 2012 by Tim Glocks

The tax agency of Sweden cracked down heavily on Swedish poker players on Nov 21, Tuesday. Tax officers slapped notices on online poker players in a bid to find out if their poker winnings between the years 2008 and 2011 can be taxed.

The tax agency has targeted all the full-time professional online poker players of Sweden.

Swedish bailiffs and police officers went from home to home and confiscated telephones and computers. They also issued notices for tax payments.

Simultaneously, several professional online poker players in the country received mails demanding details of their poker profits or poker winnings from 2008 to 2011.

Swedish authorities are especially after poker jackpots won by playing at non-EU online poker rooms. Some of the online poker companies that were named were Bodog Poker, PokerStars.com, and Full Tilt Poker. According to Swedish gambling laws, any poker profits made by playing at online poker rooms licensed in the EU are not taxed, but poker profits made by playing at non-EU online poker rooms carry a tax rate of 30%.

Swedish authorities have identified poker players by making lists of user names and then cross-checking this list with information obtained from data mining sites to get an idea of poker winnings that can be taxed. The Swedish government has not yet revealed the exact number of poker players it is targeting.

A large number of Swedish poker players have received letters from the tax authorities demanding a complete report of their online poker income, poker profits, and tax payments. Right now, one cannot say how widespread this move is going to be. However, the letter, which was sent to poker players and then posted online, said,

We have obtained information that you have played poker in one or more Internet sites based outside the European Economic Area (EEA) for the period 2008-2011. Please submit bank statement or similar document from any Internet site where you had the bankroll for the period 2008-2011. Account statements, all transactions appear, eg deposit, withdrawal and profits.

Since poker profits made by playing poker outside the European Union are taxed, not many Swedish players take part in the World Series of Poker (WSOP) in Las Vegas.

The letter sent by the Swedish authorities have also demanded details of eWallet accounts held, credit card details, bank account details, screen names and online poker account details, and sponsorship revenue earned from the year 2008 to 2011.

Tim GlocksAuthor

Tim Glocks is a retired professor, he currently contributes to Poker-Online.com. Tim enjoys playing poker and has taken it up as a hobby since his retirement. He has taken part in many online tournaments and has become a veteran in a short space of time. Visit Tim’s google + page here