Alex Zverev and Germans may be financially punished at Wimbledon in harsh twist

German tennis players have been warned that they could face a significant tax bill on any prize money they win at Wimbledon. Any earnings from the tournament will have a tax bill from HMRC and the German tax authorities, which could see their prize money reduced significantly.

Alexander Zverev is Germany's leading hope in the competition, though he heads to SW19 on the back of a semi-final defeat to Danii Medvedev at the Terra Wortmann Open and loss to Taylor Fritz in the final of the BOSS Open.

Nevertheless, if Zverev, or any other German star, is able to progress into the latter stages of Wimbledon and collect some hefty prize money along the way then he will find himself having to pay significant taxes on those earnings.

Viktor Gottschlich, German Desk Deputy at tax and business advisory firm Blick Rothenberg, explained: "Alexander Zverev may have the best prospects of all German players to win big at Wimbledon, but he and other German players could be in for a large tax bill from HMRC and the German authorities on their prize winnings."

"The prize money players receive at Wimbledon is high, with even a first round loser in the singles getting a £66,000 cheque. Meaning most international players, including German players, will have to pay UK income tax and submit an annual tax return on their winnings.

"Players that are resident in Germany will also be subject to German income tax. But the German tax authorities may reach beyond the country's borders and even a German national like Alexander Zverev, who is resident in Monaco, might still be subject to German tax."

Gottschlich went on to explain that the laws in Germany means that even if a player lives abroad and spends long periods of time elsewhere, they may still need to pay taxes in the country.

He concluded: "Under German law, a German national registered abroad might still be considered a tax resident in Germany under certain circumstances. The former tennis player, Boris Becker, is a well-known example of this, he was registered in Monaco, but had a flat in Munich which he spent enough time living in that the German tax authorities decided he should have been paying German tax on his earnings."