Spanish Tax Authorites Hunt Down German High Roller Winners!

On the eve of the Barcelona EPT, a horror story is emerging from Germany in which Hossein Ensan has been hit with a €235,000 tax bill by the Spanish authorities – 4 years after his 3rd place finish in the Main Event!

 The story, shared by Leonard and others, via the excellent German site Pokerfirma.com, has come as a shock to many – despite the massive story which erupted earlier this year concerning chess Grandmaster Francisco Vallejo Pons, his career close to ruin because of a €½ million tax demand…

According to the German site’s report (untranslated here), “The Spanish tax authorities have opened the hunt for German poker players and demand horrendous taxes on poker winnings in Spanish casinos”.

Following Ensan’s €652,667 payday for the final 3 deal at the 2014 Barcelona EPT ME, ‘Back in Germany, he talked to the tax office there and clarified everything.’

 Fast forward several years, however, and “last year a letter from Spain arrived at the German authorities. German finance is to collect from Hossein the Spanish taxes and now it gets really serious”…

Ensan’s delayed tax bill amounts to around €235,000 which includes interest, with legal fees also to be taken into consideration, Pokerfirma stating that “Ensan has hired a tax expert in Spain as well” to help fight his corner, and claims that he is not alone among Germans being chased for Spanish taxes…

The news has scared several big-name players, high-roller Manig Loeser considering cancelling his trip to this year’s Barcelona event, while an enigmatic tweet likely had people scouring their Hendon Mob for an answer…

Quite what happens next is unclear, but playing poker in Spain may be hit hard by the latest in a long line of sorry tales to hit players there.