The WSOP Main Event payouts after tax
The real winner at the WSOP, as always, was the Tax Man. Check out what the November Nine are likely to pay in taxes after their wins.
He may be the man right now, but the biggest winner at the WSOP Main Event final table wasn't Joe McKeehen, it was, as always, the IRS.
The US Inland Revenue Service is estimated to be taking around $8,467,091 in taxes from the final table this year. Much more than McKeehen's $7,683,346 first prize, especially when you factor in it will look much more like $4,297,394 when he is taxed on it.
US players also had to pay a State tax on top of the Federal tax, all of which must be frustrating in a country that makes it very difficult to play poker in the first place.
Hardest hit from a percentage perspective was Italian Federico Butteroni, who likely will pay a 47.90% tax rate, meaning he will walking away with $571,566 instead of $1,097,056 pre tax prize.
Belgium's Pierre Neuville arguably has the most to smile about, as he is expected to pay no tax on his $1,203,293 winnings, which actually means he walks away with more cash than both Zvi Stern and Thomas Cannuli, who both finished ahead of him at the final table.
| Position | Player | Prize | Prize after tax | Tax percentage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st |  Joe McKeehen |
$7,683,346 | $4,297,394 | 44.07% |
| 2nd | Joshua Beckley |
$4,470,896 | $2,389,177 | 46.56% |
| 3rd | Neil Blumenfield |
$3,398,298 | $1,805,764 | 46.86% |
| 4th | Max Steinberg |
$2.615,361 | $1,543,306 | 40.99% |
| 5th |  Zvi Stern |
$1,911.423 | $1,011,317 | 47.09% |
| 6th | Thomas Cannuli |
$1,426,283 | $785,996 | 44.89% |
| 7th |  Pierre Neuville |
$1,203,293 | $1,203,293 | 0% |
| 8th |  Federico Butteroni |
$1,097,056 | $571,566 | 47.90% |
| 9th | Patrick Chan |
$1,001,020 | $545,614 | 45.49% |
Here is a breakdown of what the State and National revenue departments are expected to earn from the final table:
| Position | Agency | Tax |
|---|---|---|
| 1st | IRS |
$8,467,091 |
| 2nd | Agenzia delle Entrate |
$525,490 |
| 3rd | New Jersey Division of Taxation |
$493,422 |
| 4th | Franchise Tax Board of California |
$425,550 |
| 5th | Israel Tax Authority |
$326,679 |
| 6th | Pennsylvania Dept of Revenue |
$235,879 |
| 7th | New York Dept of Taxation & Finance |
$102,605 |
| 8th | North Wales Boro |
$76,833 |
| Total | $10,080,122 |
Is this level of taxation fair? Let us know in the comments.
