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5th January 2024
08:17am GMT
People have criticised HMRC after finding out just how much money Luke Littler will be taking home with him following his extraordinary run at the World Darts Championship.
The 16-year-old went from unknown teen to national celebrity in a matter of weeks thanks to his performances at the tournament on his debut, beating players much more experienced than him and world champions on his way to the final.
In the end, he fell to a 7-4 defeat to Luke Humphries in the final on Wednesday, but he'd still captured the hearts of the nation - and earned himself a huge payday.
As he progressed through each round, Littler's prize money increased, and by reaching the final he bagged himself £200,000 in prize money.
But he won't actually be receiving all of that money.
According to investment platform Saxo, Luke The Nuke will have to pay £76,203 in tax on his winnings, along with £7,330 in National Insurance, coming to a total of £84,533.
He'll still be taking home just under £116,500.
HMRC has since responded to the news of how much tax Littler will have to pay, writing on X: "Big congrats to Luke on his fantastic run to the final. We can confirm the existence of income tax."
But many didn't take kindly to the jokey post, with one person commenting: "Please take the intern away from the laptop, you’re an official government department not a standup comedian."
A second said: "It's really something when your government feels comfortable smugly bragging about how they f**k you over."
"Don’t we know it. Stay in the shadows HMRC. No witty banter. You should be seen and not heard," someone else wrote.
Others labelled it an "unpleasant, condescending response" and a "poor post."
It looks like Littler could be in for some more big paydays soon though, with the Warrington-based teen having been included in the 8-man lineup for the PDC's prestigious Premier League.
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