I don't think it would cost you much to try to reclaim that 20k. It should be fairly straightforward based on what you describe in your post, and my current understanding of the poker taxation situation. I also think you probably should not pay for 2013 (especially if you are going to attempt to reclaim the 20k). With that said, it's probably best to talk this over with a lawyer who knows about this stuff. PM me if you would like a recommendation.

Thanks for the advice guys.

I think the main concerns I have are:

1) The cost & complication of filing for the 20k adjustment. What is the likelihood of getting paid out and the cost associated with the tax lawyer (if it is necessary to have one).

2) The implications of this adjustment request (successful or unsuccessful) moving forward. I don't want to cause more harm than good in making trying to get the refund.

@Mossberg , I am not allowed to send PM's on my account yet. Maybe you could send me an email for a recommendation. (peter.kshonze@gmail.com)

Thanks.

Can anyone recommend a tax lawyer in Calgary? Looking to talk to someone about the possibilities of filing an amendment to the last 4 years returns, and how to proceed going forward (not filing as a professional anymore).

I don't think it's necessary to find someone who is in your area. More important to find someone who specializes in taxation of gambling winnings. I was able to get all the information and help I needed just by talking to someone over the phone.

that's a good read right there

TaxGuru : Do you handle any case right now related to the CRA and poker ? PM me details if so, I'm quebec resident and my local CRA has been a total pain, I might be looking to change my lawyer.

Any good tax laywers/accountants in the Montreal area?
If so , please PM me. I badly need one.

thoughts on this?
http://www.canadapoker.com/canada-cr...n-the-horizon/

Thanks for the link.

Thread already about it here

http://forumserver.twoplustwo.com/29...rizon-1424382/

Does anyone know of a good poker tax accountant in or around Toronto? If so, please PM me.

I am not totally familiar with all the details about what initiated Black Friday however from what I do know wasn;t it something to do with the interaction between online processors from Pokerstars and banks and misleading transaction details. Who is to say the same thing is not happening now in Canada. I have echeque set up and when I do a transaction all it says is echeque transaction and gives a number associated with it. It does not refer to anything about gambling or poker or golf balls, lol. So who knows...

I have echeque set up on these sites and am in Canada, I have read the article in the Canadian tax thread on possible government interaction in some form on online poker whether it be taxation or banning altogether. On online transactions it simply states "echeque" with a transaction number. What does my bank think this is? Is there anymore information exchanged between the processors and my bank that does not show up on my statement? Just curious based on that thread that maybe the government could have intel info. Pure speculation but as a player, want to try and be as informed as possible. Basically what is different now in the interactions between their processors and our banks than before. I ask based on that article and the lack of detail on transactions.

Thanks!

Did anyone file using turbotax canada? I'm trying to figure out how to declare gambling winnings on there but can't find any options for that.

Are we just expected to not even list that income given that its not taxed?

^yes, my understanding is that you do not list it if you are taking the stance that it is not taxable income (rightly so).

You have to use the CRA industry code for gambling (I Don't remember what it is off the top of my head) and file as if self employed running a business.

On a side note, is anyone that has declared poker income in previous years taking the stance that it is not taxable due to that recent court ruling?

Really lost on what to do. Have declared for the past 5 years and considering not to this year

It does not sound like he is taking the stance that his winnings are taxable, so your advice does not apply.

After 7 years of paying, I was advised to take the stance that my winnings are not taxable (in light of the recent Radonjic case). I highly recommend that you discuss this with a lawyer. Let me know if you need a recommendation.

PM sent, greatly appreciated!

I'll be filing an adjustment, hopefully by next week. My case is similar to the Radonjic case, and in my opinion, even more in my favor. I too claimed the income to play it safe. I only claimed for 3 years, my winnings were much lower, and I'm still within the 3 year cutoff for filing an adjustment for my final year of playing.

I burnt out on poker by the end, my bankroll dwindling as I played poorly through a downswing, and was left with roughly 10k in taxes to pay. I had no source of income to pay off the taxes owing. I still owe the majority of it. It'd be nice to have that cleared up, as it's been a major source of stress over the past several years.

Does anyone know of someone that could help advise me? I can't afford a lawyer or accountant at this point as I'm close to bankruptcy.

Has anyone else filed an adjustment or is planning on filing an adjustment due to the Radonjic case?

I don't understand why this thread exists. In Canada, we don't pay anything on poker winnings. Someone aware me please.

Because it is not quite as simple as you make it out to be. If you are carrying on the "business" of poker, you are taxable in Canada. Many of us understood the criteria for what constitutes "business activities" to be something that applied to our poker playing, due to the frequency of our play, our attempts to improve, our past results, etc. So, if you follow some of the recent pages in this thread, you'll see that many Canadians have been paying taxes on their poker winnings. Due to the outcome of the Radonjic case from last year, our understanding/interpretation of the criteria has shifted (clearly in our favor). However, poker playing is still judged on an individual basis and can still, in theory, be taxable income.

Given the court case spoken about above, wouldn't staking fall into the same category? If me playing poker isn't taxable then why would giving money to others to play with be? If anything, horses are rarely long-term winners themselves and with the high risk of theft/losses I would think that logically the staking profits should not be taxable either.

Can anyone chime in on this? I've paid taxes for the last 5 years but last year was the first year I staked more than a few people. The variance is so high in staking, could I take the stance that the staking business is still too early to be deemed a taxable poker endeavor?

Staking is harder to defend on the case law because unlike gambling itself, it does not have the same "personal" element to it. In other words, it is arguable that staking is more like investing in a really speculative market than it is like playing poker. On the other hand, one might well try to resist that characterization by arguing that staking is itself a form of gambling (and for that reason has a similar "personal" element to it). I am not sure that I find this counter-argument convincing, though it is plausible that a good lawyer could convince a judge of its merit.

Is this your stance towards all sorts of staking , or long term staking?
if someone randomly bought a piece of a friend and won some money , is that taxable ? or does it also fall under the gambling section since it is done rarely?
what about some people who swap percentages in tournaments or something along those lines?
i of course understand that someone who has a whole stable would more likely to be looked at as an actual investor with long term expectations ,but i am curious how a short term investor who is practically just " gambling " would be perceived.