Athletes train (some, for their entire lives!) for the opportunity to compete in the Olympic Games. This is where they get to showcase their abilities to the world. For many, the prestige of competing on the world stage is a dream come true. But victory is never certain. The only guarantee? Being taxed on it if you do win.

The U.S. Olympic Committee awards cash prizes to medal winners: $25,000 for gold, $15,000 for silver, and $10,000 for bronze. Unofficially known as the “victory tax,” the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) classifies medal winners no different from lotto prize recipients, someone who has hit the jackpot in Vegas, and even Nobel and Pulitzer Prize winners.  According to the non-profit advocacy group, Americans for Tax Reform, an athlete at the top 39.6 percent bracket will potentially be looking at a tax bill of $9,900 per gold medal, $5,940 per silver medal, and $3,690 per bronze medal.  Though “these are the maximum possible amounts, and vary widely based on an individual’s tax circumstances and available deductions,” the figures are still staggering. For some athletes, like those competing from New York or California, their medals are subject to state tax as well. In addition to these taxes, the medals themselves are taxed on commodity prices, too.

How do other countries compare? While other nations subsidize their Olympians, the Canadian Olympic Committee does offer cash prizes for medal winners and it is considered taxable income. In the UK, prize money is considered taxable income, however, the UK Olympic Committee does not offer incentive payments to its medal-winning athletes.

But of course, with all this said, getting to the Olympics for many athletes comes with something you can’t put a price on.