What a non-US Pokémon champion actually receives under US tax withholding

What this is

What a non-US Pokémon champion actually receives under US tax withholding: 70% of the prize, so $14,000 of a $20,000 UNITE prize or $35,000 of a $50,000 card-game prize; about 63–65% if California's 7% also applies at a San Francisco event.

How it’s built

1. Net = prize less 30% federal withholding.
2. In the California case, a further 7% is taken on the amount above $1,500.

What we assumed

• The 2019 rules still apply in 2026.The rates come from TPCi's 2019 FAQ and have not been confirmed for 2026.
• California's 7% applies to every non-resident of California.That includes US players from other states, not only foreign ones.

Sanity check

$20,000 − 30% = $14,000; less 7% of $18,500 = $12,705, or 63.5%. The withheld money goes to the tax authorities, not to TPCi.

Where it comes from

Our calculation from other figures in the trainer’s notes:

• ReportedWorlds 2026 itemised top-3 cash by game: sums, shares, cross-run match, per-player basis, Worlds 2026 (28-30 Aug 2026, San Francisco)