Luke Littler wowed the nation on January 3 when he broke the world record to become the new world darts champion.
The 17-year-old sored 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 Mirror, £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.
“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.
“At 2-0 up [in the final set] I started getting nervous but I said to myself to just relax. I was throwing for the match and to get it over and done with then was special.”
Littler has already been congratulated by a slew of famous faces, but nothing was topping a message from David Beckham for the staunch Manchester United fan. After revealing Beckham had been in touch, Littler shared: “[Beckham] said, ‘Wow, well done’. I said, ‘Thank you’. Goes to show how well I’ve done for the sport. Not only for myself but the other hundreds of professionals out there.
“But to see the likes of David Beckham watching, it feels crazy.”
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