Fruit Machine Chat

Who does this? Do you rely on other income (be it benefits/job/parents/scams) or can you support yourself completely (including rent/mortgage) just on machines?

It probably would be best if only semi/full time players answered this.

I like to keep my fingers in a few pies and work and slot

The only money I get is from fruit machines. Everything I have saved/paid for comes from fruits. Iv never claimed JSA or nothing like that.

How do you go undetected by the Authorities ?

I've always been led to believe that if you don't claim benefits/allowances but at the same time don't declare any earnings that they can question you as to how your living on nothing ?

gambogaz1 wrote:How do you go undetected by the Authorities ?

I've always been led to believe that if you don't claim benefits/allowances but at the same time don't declare any earnings that they can question you as to how your living on nothing ?

Iv had a few letters saying I'm not paying national I, but apart from that what can they do. If they asked me I'd tell them.

I can only comment from a Business point of view but these are the powers the Inland revenue have regarding them.

If you submitted several years tax returns showing no profits therefor no tax and they were suspicious they can do a lifestyle assesment.

Look at where you live, what you own e,t,c and so come to a figure of what you need to live to pay all your bills. They can then asses you based on that figure after checking results from other accounts from that profession and it's then upto you to appeal for whatever reasons i,e Money borrowed from parents to stay afloat e,t,c

What you want do is declare £100 a week earnings for say gardening or odd jobs.

Then you'll pay no tax,no Nat Ins but still be above the £97 lower limit earnings so that you'll get full state pension by the time your about 70 for some of you young pups

gambogaz1 wrote:How do you go undetected by the Authorities ?

I've always been led to believe that if you don't claim benefits/allowances but at the same time don't declare any earnings that they can question you as to how your living on nothing ?

You are making an income from gambling which is perfectly legal. There are a lot of people making large amounts of money out of poker in the same position. It isn't really a problem so long as you are candid about it. What is illegal is claiming means tested benefits when you are not entitled to them.

^^this^^

my question to those who are playing for a living and not paying any NI, have you got a private pension or any long term savings?

quizard wrote:

gambogaz1 wrote:How do you go undetected by the Authorities ?

I've always been led to believe that if you don't claim benefits/allowances but at the same time don't declare any earnings that they can question you as to how your living on nothing ?

You are making an income from gambling which is perfectly legal. There are a lot of people making large amounts of money out of poker in the same position. It isn't really a problem so long as you are candid about it. What is illegal is claiming means tested benefits when you are not entitled to them.

yes, this is very true. I know lots of pro poker players from my time playing full time and only the american ones are obliged to pay anything. They have to file full tax returns to the Irs and I knew of many who had spent their income on the high life and then got caught out with a huge bill. The English players are the same boat as us machine players, ie owe nothing.

Those who think there will even be a state pension in 30-40 years time need to get a reality check. I don't pay a thing so don't expect anything back, but I'm damned if I'm going to pay into a scheme which probably won't give me a return when I want or need it to. Which is why I'm not up for a pension either!

If you spend half and save half of your earnings, or even 3/4 - 1/4 ratio, you won't go far wrong in life.

We are taxed at stake. We do pay tax, and the tax man cant touch us for anymore. Someone was taken to court 10+ years ago over it apparently and got a nice lump of compensation for the hassle.

Surely lying and saying your a Gardener so you can a free state pension is a bit unscurpulous?

Last time I signed on was to get the sudent loans co. off my back, for about 2 weeks, about 6-7 years ago.

Tax exemptions

See

http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/stats/tax_expend ... 0ap_b2.htm
• Gains arising from gambling winnings

uber-pro wrote:We are taxed at stake. We do pay tax, and the tax man cant touch us for anymore. Someone was taken to court 10+ years ago over it apparently and got a nice lump of compensation for the hassle.

Surely lying and saying your a Gardener so you can a free state pension is a bit unscurpulous?

Last time I signed on was to get the sudent loans co. off my back, for about 2 weeks, about 6-7 years ago.

Maybe but your up out and as some of you say working most days doing your routes, putting money into the economy for Pubs/Petrol/food then spending your winnings on luxurys. So why shouldn't you get a pension the same as someone who's been on benefits all their life ?

Your allowed to earn £6,475 Tax free & £115 a week Nat Ins free so you may aswell declare £115 a week for pension purposes, it'll only take filling in a tax return once a year.

But your comment about paying tax at stake is just a play on words, you don't pay Tax on your earnings like Joe public. Tax on stake is what the machine company pays over as their tax bill not yours.

In a similar vein, what happens to the lucky few who win it big on lotto / pools / Deal or No Deal TV programme / Millionaire? Presumably, the Inland Revenue is informed about such wins so that they know not to pursue the winners for taxes.

No winnings are exempt from tax. However benefits and what not are means tested via savings. If you have say £10,000 (just a guess) or more in savings you have to declare it & you don't get any benefits as you've got enough savings to live off.

Some wise words from a high court judge in a tax case reproduced below. It seems that having skillz would not in itself bring you in the income tax net. HMRC agree in their manual that a gambler that is "that sufficiently successful to earn a living by gambling does not make their activities a trade."

There have been many posts recently about what constitutes a professional etc. To my mind if HMRC ever took the point the more organised or professional amongst you are treading a fine line. I think a good QC could sustain an argument that someone who buys lists of machines, trades/buys/ sells methods, programmes routes into sat navs, keeps records of income and expenditure etc is actually carrying out a trade rather than just being quite good at a hobby. I suspect the judge who handed down the summing up below in 1925 had not met too many AWPists. Just my thoughts.

...."Now we come to the other side, the man who bets with the bookmaker, and that is this case. These are mere bets. Each time he puts on his money, at whatever may be the starting price. I do not think he could be said to organise his effort in the same way as a bookmaker organises his. I do not think the subject matter from his point of view is susceptible of it. In effect all he is doing is just what a man does who is a skilful player at cards, who plays every day. He plays to-day and he plays tomorrow and he plays the next day and he is skilful on each of the three days, more skilful on the whole than the people with whom he plays, and he wins. But I do not think that you can find, in his case, any conception arising in which his individual operations can be said to be merged in the way that particular operations are merged in the conception of a trade. I think all you can say of that man ... is that he is addicted to betting. ...There is no tax on a habit. I do not think ``habitual'' or even ``systematic'' fully describes what is essential in the phrase ``trade, adventure, profession or vocation.''."