Chwalińska earned millions on the court, and the tax office will take the fortune. The minister announces an intervention
The historic success brought a million-dollar prize. However, a large part of the winnings will go to the French tax office.
Maja Chwalińska achieved the greatest success in her career during the French Open. Advancing to the final translated not only into great interest from fans, but also into a high financial reward. The case quickly sparked a discussion about how the Polish tennis player’s win would be settled.
For her performance on the courts in Paris, Chwalińska earned EUR 1.4 million gross. This means an amount of PLN 5.9–6 million. However, due to the regulations in force in France, a significant part of these funds will be allocated to tax.
Tax on Maja Chwalińska’s winnings in France
Minister of Finance Andrzej Domański commented on the matter on TVN24. He explained that there is a double taxation avoidance agreement between Poland and France. According to its rules, income is taxed in the country where it was obtained.
In practice, this means that the winnings obtained during the tournament in Paris will be taxed in France. The local tax on sports winnings is 45%, so the athlete’s account will receive much less than the full value of the prize.
The tax on Maja Chwalińska’s winnings is a topic of discussion
Andrzej Domański announced that he would raise this issue during a meeting with his French counterpart. At the same time, he admitted that he did not expect any changes in this matter.
The minister emphasized that the French tax system, like the Polish one, is based on specific principles. He pointed out that if the French tennis player won the tournament organized in Poland, the tax on the income obtained would go to the Polish budget.
The historic advancement of the Polish tennis player
The success in Paris also translated into a huge jump in the world ranking. In the latest ranking, Maja Chwalińska advanced from 114th to 21st place.
Before her, in the history of Polish tennis, only Iga Świątek, Agnieszka Radwańska and Magda Linette were classified higher. The promotion to the top of the world ranking became one of the greatest achievements in the athlete’s career so far and opened up new sporting and financial opportunities for her.
