People have hit out at the HMRC after it’s revealed how much money Luke Littler will actually be taking home from the World Darts Championship.
The 16-year-old prodigy is clearly the man of the hour following his unexpected and record-breaking World Championship run.
The teenager from Cheshire has captured the hearts of sports fans around the world after wiping out seasoned veterans at this year's PDC World Darts Championship.
But sadly for Littler, it was world-number-one Luke Humphries who came out on top in last night's (3 January) final with a 7-4 victory.
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Although Humphries won, Littler still made history as the youngest ever player to compete in the tournament and make it to the final - as well as receiving a hero’s reception.
Speaking of the experience after last night's final, Littler told the press: “It’s been unbelievable, I just wanted to win one game and come back after Christmas, that was the only goal I set, so this is a massive bonus.
“No one likes losing, I have not really lost much, so to lose on that stage I can’t really be angry, the only thing I am angry about is that I lost a lot of legs on my throw and I was just chasing Luke.
“I have won six games here so why can’t I go and win seven here in years to come. I have gained a lot of experience and stage experience, I am in the top 32 now so I could be in everything.
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“The past three to four weeks have been unbelievable and now I just can’t wait to go home. I’m sorry I couldn’t give the crowd what they wanted.”
Despite narrowly missing out, Littler comes away from the competition with not just celebrity status and a massive following, but a bucket load of cash too.
As a runner up, Littler will be given a whopping £200,000, while Humphries will take away a tidy £500,000 prize.
However, according to investment platform Saxo, their estimates suggest that Littler will have to pay £76,203 in tax, as well as £7,330 in National Insurance - which means his winnings will be sliced by almost half.
His take home pay is also estimated to be around £116,467.
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And HMRC also made reference to Littler's win in a tweet, writing: "Big congrats to Luke on his fantastic run to the final. We can confirm the existence of income tax."
X (formerly Twitter) users were not impressed with the joke, however, as one person commented: "Please take the intern away from the laptop, you’re an official government department not a standup comedian."
"Don’t we know it. Stay in the shadows HMRC. No witty banter. You should be seen and not heard," a second said.
"Quite an unpleasant, condescending response from HMRC I feel, even though it may be technically accurate," a third added.
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"Such a poor post this is," someone else wrote.
LADbible has contacted HMRC for comment.
Featured Image Credit: Tom Dulat/Getty ImagesTopics: Money, Luke Littler, Sport