Do professional gamblers (specifically Poker players) pay tax?

[seal!]

Or are all their winnings tax free? Thanks

[R1Geezer]

If Gambling is your income then yes tax is payable as if self employed. However I'd be surprised if anyone is actually paying it!

[kags]

their winnings are tax free. However, if they are earning money from providing tips to others, making media appearances etc, then that money would be taxable.

[R1Geezer]

Bollox Kags, if it's their job then that is not true. Ask Corals

[hc4361]

Corals is a providing a service to others and as such pay all the taxes any other pays.
An individual poker player does not pay tax on his income.
Thanks to European Union legislation from 2001 against double taxation, EU citizens who win money in European casinos don't pay taxes on their gaming profits.

This goes for profits from online poker sites as well - as long as they are based within the EU, which the best UK poker sites certainly are, partly for this very reason.

[R1Geezer]

That's tru of general punters but If they are professional gamblers then that is their income, tax is due, enf of!

[kags]

actually it's not bollox.

http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/manuals/bimmanual/bim22 017.htm

[kags]

just think through the consequences to HMRC of taxing the relatively small number of people who make a living from gambling. Anybody gambling regularly - and losing as most people do - would be claiming to be carrying on a part-time trade and offsetting their losses against other earnings.