Zhao Xintong may have made snooker history by becoming China’s first World Snooker Champion and the first amateur player to lift the trophy, but he is set to lose nearly half of his £500,000 prize money to UK taxes.
The 28-year-old defeated Mark Williams 18-12 in the 2025 World Snooker Championship final at the Crucible Theatre, capping off a remarkable run that started in the qualifying rounds.
Due to his residency and business setup in the UK, Zhao is subject to UK tax laws:
Zhao lives at Victoria’s Snooker Academy in Sheffield, which is home to many of China’s professional players.
He established a business, Zhao Xintong Limited, also based in Sheffield, to manage his affairs.
As a result of his UK residency and business ties, he will have his winnings deducted for taxes and National Insurance contributions.
Zhao’s total deduction is expected to be £204,299 in tax plus an additional £19,611 in National Insurance contributions, totaling an estimated loss of 44.8% of his prize money.
Despite the significant deduction, Zhao will still take home the largest portion of prize money from the tournament.
Zhao’s win was historic on multiple levels:
He is the first Chinese player to win the World Snooker Championship.
He is the first amateur player to win the trophy. His amateur status required him to play an exhausting eight matches to reach the final, starting in the first round of qualifiers.
He defeated several top players on his run, including Ronnie O’Sullivan and eventual runner-up Mark Williams.
Williams, at 50 years old, also made history as the oldest player to reach the Crucible final. Despite a late push, winning four straight frames in the final session, Williams missed a crucial red, allowing Zhao to clear the table and secure his first world title.
Zhao started the 2025/26 season as the number 11 ranked player and will qualify for all major tournaments as the second seed due to his World Championship win. He is also effectively guaranteed to remain in the top 16 for the entire season as he is not ‘defending’ any ranking points, having completed a 20-month suspension in September 2024.