It seems that the taxmen in Finland are creating some confusion after it appeared they are demanding a declaration of Internet and land poker winnings from selected Finnish poker players.

Letters have been sent to players who have been listed on websites as winners, either online or live, a tax official told the newspaper Helsingin Sanomat.

According to early responses on website message boards, it looks like several dozen players have received the letter asking them to declare their winnings over the last five years. Any winnings earned outside the European Econcomic Area will be subjected to investigation.

The request has triggered several areas of confusion, such as whether it is sufficient for tax-free status that the organiser of a poker tournament is registered in an European Economic Area, or if the application for the tournament licence also has to emanate from within the EEA. As there is no legal precedent on this, many are assuming it will revolve around where the tournament organiser is registered. There is also the question of whether losses should be deductible for tax purposes.