Navigating Poker Taxes in Russia: What Players Need to Know

Poker is not officially legalized in Russia, and its legal status is unclear. This creates a unique situation for poker players who want to pay taxes legally. Poker players in Russia can pay taxes as either a physical person (FL) or an individual entrepreneur (IE).

Individual entrepreneurs in Russia must declare a type of activity according to the classifier (OKVED). This can be a bit tricky for poker players, as poker is not a recognized activity. However, players can declare other activities such as private teaching, financial consulting, or retail trade to comply with the regulations.

The object of taxation is the income, which is any increase in the amount on the poker room account, excluding deposits. This means that any winnings from poker games are considered taxable income. Residents of Russia pay taxes on all their income, both Russian and foreign, at a rate of 13%. Non-residents of Russia pay taxes only from sources in Russia.