Luke Littler to lose whopping chunk of £500k World Darts Championship prize money
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Luke Littler scooped the top £500,000 prize in the PDC World Darts Championship final on Friday night - but he'll only keep just over half of it due to tax obligations. The 17-year-old romped to victory in the showpiece final at Ally Pally after surging into a 4-0 lead against Michael van Gerwen, who went on to lose the match 7-3.
Littler's triumph means he becomes the youngest world champion in darts history - and the talented teenager is expected to rake in a tidy sum from sponsorships and endorsements following his rapid rise to superstardom. But unfortunately, UK tax regulations mean that Littler will lose a substantial chunk of the winnings from his maiden world title triumph.
As outlined by The Mail, £223,213 of Littler's prize money will go to HMRC, plus up to £12,010 in National Insurance contributions. The official HMRC account took the opportunity to congratulate Littler on X with a cheeky message referencing said tax obligations after his win.
"Big congrats to Luke on his fantastic run to the final," they wrote, adding: "We can confirm the existence of income tax.". Littler became emotional after his stunning victory before admitting his triumph to land the coveted Sid Waddell Trophy was a dream come true after being congratulated by Van Gerwen.
Order your souvenir 48-page publication celebrating Luke Littler's historic World Championship win now. Buy now on our online shop!. "Everyone dreams of lifting this trophy," he told Sky Sports after the match. "You've got to get through a tough field. I can't believe it. I keep saying it but that first game against Ryan Meikle [in round two] was the one that really mattered, and throughout I've just settled.
