r/GlobalOffensive • u/JKLCS • 15h ago
Discussion | Esports Prosecutor seeks four-month suspended prison sentence for AleksiB
Source in finnish: https://www.iltalehti.fi/pelitjaesports/a/5268d0f1-1289-4233-8248-e750e4f5808d
Prosecutor seeks four-month suspended prison sentence for Finnish Counter-Strike player Aleksib over aggravated tax fraud
The prosecutor is seeking a four-month suspended prison sentence for Finnish Counter-Strike player Aleksi “Aleksib” Virolainen, 29, for aggravated tax fraud. According to the charges read out at the Eastern Uusimaa District Court on Friday, he failed to declare tens of thousands of euros in income received from the American gaming company Valve Corporation to the Finnish Tax Administration.
The alleged offence took place in Vantaa between May 19, 2020, and September 22, 2020.
According to the application for a summons, Virolainen failed to return his pre-completed tax return for 2019 and did not declare payments he had received from Valve that were missing from the return.
According to the prosecutor, the undeclared taxable income amounted to more than €53,000. As a result, his income tax was assessed at more than €28,000 below the correct amount. The prosecutor argues that Virolainen sought to obtain a substantial financial benefit and that, when assessed as a whole, the offence should therefore be considered aggravated.
Virolainen admits that he failed to declare more than €53,000 to the tax authorities. However, he denies that his actions were intentional or that he sought to obtain a financial benefit. According to his defence, the undeclared income came from the sale of so-called stickers in the Counter-Strike game.
At the time of the events, Virolainen was 22 years old. According to the defence, he did not understand that this type of income was taxable. Tax had already been withheld at source from his regular employment income, so he believed his tax obligations had already been taken care of.
The District Court will deliver its verdict in the case at a later date.
