Denmark Wins the 2008 WSOP
According to Danish tax laws, Peter Eastgate is now officially Denmark’s BITCH. After winning the bracelet and over nine million in cash here in the good ‘ole USA, Eastgate is likely facing one hell of a tax bill from SKAT (the Danish equivalent of the IRS). We’re not talking about a modest few million; we’re talking almost ALL of it.
I’m not kidding. The effective tax rate in Denmark for a person raking in this much cash in a year is 72.27% For the mathematically challenged that means of the $9,152,416 that Eastgate won, he owes the Danish SKAT man a whopping $6,660,545 of his winnings. Take home pay after all of that? $2,491,871
So essentially the biggest money winner of the event post-taxes is Ivan Demidov. Since Russia only asks for 13% of his winnings, he’s still taking over five million to the Russian Bank, or the mattress he stuffs in his winnings in, right next to the AK47.
Eastgate apparently did try to move to Britain but was not able to gain citizenship before winning the event. There’s debate on how much, if any, of the money he will actually pay to SKAT but how it pans out is anyone’s guess. What will be interesting is if now chooses to stay in Denmark or take up residence elsewhere, similar to what Gus Hansen did when he moved to Monaco.
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