Getting money for playing games

[Sangwone]

Hi I am wondering if I was to play games ( not like pro games) but if I were to get money for playing games through apps,would that money be taxable and what category would it be in?

[TurboTaxSusan]

It depends. If you are winning in-game currency like Fortnite V-Bucks or whatever, then no, you don’t need to include them on your taxes. The same thing goes if you play the occasional online poker game and win some real money. Prizes are generally not taxable in Canada.

However, if you are a professional online poker player (or something similar), and that’s how you make most of your money, then the CRA would consider it a business. You would have to report your winnings as self-employment income. Or, if someone is paying you to play games, as a beta tester or for some other reason, then that would also need to be reported as income on your tax return. You would either put it as employment income or business/self-employment income, depending on your circumstances.

[Sangwone]

Hello I am wondering if I was to download a mobile app that gives me credit for playing certain games to like certain level and if I have enough of them I could cash it out with paypal,would this be taxable? I am currently using an app called Money App

[TurboTaxHeba]

CRA asks you to define your transactions, it is like gambling: if you do it occasionally then it is not taxable. If you do it often to gain income, then you report it as business income (self-employed).

I hope this was helpful