Jonathan Duhamel Wins Decade-Long Poker Tax Battle Against CRA

Jonathan Duhamel has finally won his case against the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) after it pursued him through the court for a decade over his tax responsibilities as a poker player.

The 34-year-old Canadian won $8,944,310 after taking down the 2009 WSOP Main Event. The CRA claimed that after Duhamel’s victory, his activities during 2010-12 were akin to running a business and were therefore taxable. The CRA assessed Duhamel's income for the years 2010-2012 at $4,866,117, $383,916 and $106,775 respectively.

The judge ruled that Duhamel's poker career activities were “not carried on in a sufficiently commercial manner to constitute a source of business income for the purposes of the Act.”