Dutch Authorities Raid Poker Pros House For Unpaid Taxes

The Dutch authorities on the 3rd October 2008 made an amendment to their Betting and Gaming Tax Act, which effectively saw poker players having a 29% gaming tax  levied on their online winnings from foreign, but not domestic online gambling sites.
Since introducing the unpopular law the Dutch government has been playing a game of cat and mouse with players they suspect of anonymously playing poker on the Internet, including sending out a Dutch tax law information guide and  requesting they complete tax returns on any undeclared online winnings.
Dutch poker pros such as Marcel Luske and Peter Dalhuijsen have reputedly already moved abroad in order to avoid what are considered unfair taxes. Now Steven Van Zadelhoff may wish he had done the same himself after having his house raided by tax authorities insisting he pays them hundreds of thousands of euros in unpaid taxes.
Steven van Zadelhoff has had many notable live tournament successes, including winning the 2009 Spanish Poker Tour Grand Finale on the 25th Nov for $148,588. However, it is online where Steven van Zadelhoff really shines and he is a member of Everest Poker’s Team Everest, where he plays No Limit Hold’emcash games up to $10/20. He has also taken down some major online tournaments including winning the PokerStars Sunday Million event on 22nd April 2007 for $164,000, and the Full Tilt Poker $350k Guaranteed “Sunday Brawl” in 2009 for $93,287.
Following the raid on his home by the Dutch IRS, Van Zadelhoff’s lawyer Peter Plasman made the following statement: “We were and still are in negotiation with the tax office. My client has never suggested not wanting to pay his debts. He is leaving for Malta because he needs to relax in a peaceful environment without worrying about taxes”.
We will endeavour to bring you an update to this story as it occurs.