Re: Tax question
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Do I have to pay taxes on money that I currently have made that is still in my poker stars account?
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No. You don't HAVE to pay taxes on money in your poker stars account. In fact, you don't HAVE to pay taxes on anything. The IRS will not kill you if you don't pay any taxes. Of course, they might lock you up for a long time, or financially ruin you, or make you pay and pay for the rest of your life, or slap your ass with so many fines you will never get your head above water again, but NO, you don't HAVE to pay taxes.
Legally, you SHOULD pay taxes on any income that you have "constructive receipt" of. That means money that is readily available to you and under your control. Money in a PokerStars account probably qualifies, because you can cash it out anytime you want, there is little delay in converting it to cash, and there is very little chance that PokerStars won't let you cash it out.
So, yes, legally you should pay taxes on the money in your PokerStars account. Do you HAVE too? No. It is your choice if you want to run the risk of the legal ramifications if you don't.
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