Like all other taxable income, the IRS requires you to report prizes and winnings on your tax return, too. That means you might have to pay taxes on those winnings. Your winnings end up being included in your taxable income, which is used to calculate the tax you owe. Gambling losses — You can deduct your gambling losses (like the cost of lottery tickets that you didn’t win on) as long as they don’t exceed the winnings you report as income. For example, if you report $1,000 in winnings but you have $2,000 in losses, you can only deduct $1,000. Play the lottery in a pool.

What is a Form W-2G

When most people think about their income, they think about their paychecks, their net business profit, their pension or social security income—the money they’ve worked for and count on every month to pay their bills and cover their expenses. However, not all income is the product of hard work or financial planning, and sometimes a taxpayer can generate income with the flip of a card or the roll of the dice. Lucky lottery players and casino goers likely don’t think about the tax consequences of winning big, but after crossing a certain earnings threshold, those winnings are treated as taxable income.

IRS Form W-2G is issued by a casino or payer to taxpayers who have earned above a specific threshold to report gambling winnings. A payer may also send an IRS Form W-2G if it withholds a portion of your winnings for federal income tax purposes.

Do I have to report my gambling winnings to the IRS?

The IRS treats gambling winnings as taxable income, which must be reported on a tax return. In order to keep track of taxpayer’s gambling winnings, the IRS requires the paying entity (such as the state lotto commission, the casino, or the racing track) to report winnings over a certain threshold.

If a taxpayer wins more than:

• $1,200 from a slot machine or bingo game,
• $1,500 of proceeds from keno,
• $5,000 of proceeds from a poker tournament,
• $600 of winnings from any other game where payout is more than 300 times the wager,
• or any other winnings subject to tax withholding,

then he or she can expect to be required to provide identifying information which allows the paying entity to issue an IRS Form W2G.

Form W-2G Instructions

Form W-2G will request that the taxpayer provide the following information:

• The amount of gross winnings
• The date the winnings were won
• The type of wager that was made
• The amount of federal and state income tax already withheld

When filing his or her tax return, the taxpayer will need to add up all IRS Form W-2Gs received in that year, along with any smaller gambling winnings that may not have triggered an IRS Form W-2G requirement. The taxpayer will also be required to include those earnings as “Other Income” on the first page of his or her IRS Form 1040 return.

Even if you don’t receive a W-2G in the mail before tax season rolls around, you will still be legally obligated to report your earnings on your year-end tax return. Keeping careful track of all of your financial documents, such as wager statements, payment slips, and other gambling receipts, will ensure that you’re able to accurately report your earnings come tax time.

Are gambling losses tax deductible?

Maybe you enjoy gambling, but you’re not always so lucky with your winnings—there is one bit of good news for you. Although you can’t report your net winnings, you can report your gambling losses as an itemized deduction on Schedule A. However, there’s a catch: losses can only be deducted up to the amount of gambling winnings in a given year.

For example, if a taxpayer spends $500 at the casino, and wins $5,000, he or she will only have to pay taxes on the $4,500 of profit, as long as he or she has proof of the $500 spent. On the contrary, if a taxpayer spent $5,000, and only won $500, there will be no extra tax imposed on the gambling winnings, although the extra $4,500 of loss cannot be used to offset any other non-gambling winnings.

Do keep in mind that the IRS will only accept proof if they believe that the taxpayer him or herself actually suffered the losses—IRS rulings have refused to allow loss deductions based on tickets covered in dirt and footprints, as though they had been collected from the ground after another unlucky gambler had dropped them there.

How much tax is already withheld from gambling winnings?

Gambling facilities have the power to withhold part of your winnings for federal tax purposes, however this power depends on the type of gambling activity participated in and the amount of money won. On IRS Form W-2G, the amount already withheld can be found is noted in Box 4, and state and local tax withholdings are noted in Boxes 15 and 17.

To date, there are two types of withholding for winnings from gambling: regular withholding and backup withholding.

Regular Withholding: The payer withholds 25% of your winnings on cash payments where the winnings minus the wager totals to $5,000 or more.

This applies to winnings from:

• Wagering pools
• Sweepstakes
• Lotteries
• Other wagers (if the winnings total at least 3,000 times the amount of the wager)

Note that regular withholding only applies to non-state lotteries, sweepstakes, and wagering pools, and that the withholding rate rises to 33.33% for non-cash winnings.

Backup Withholding: The payer withholds 28% of your winnings earned from keno, bingo, slot machines, and poker tournaments. This typically only applies when winnings total to:

• At least $600 and at least 300 times the original wager,
• At least $1,200 from bingo or slot machines,
• $1,500 from keno,
• $5,000 from a poker tournament.

Taxpayers may also see their gambling winnings subject to backup withholding if they fail to provide the correct taxpayer identification number to the payer.

Community Tax can assist with your IRS Help and gambling winnings. Contact Community Tax today for a free consultation: (844) 247-2781

Taxes are probably the last thing on your mind during an exciting gambling session. However, they inevitably come up following a big win or profitable year.

You may have two main questions at this point:

• Do I need to pay taxes on my wins?
• If so, how much do I have to pay?

The following guide discusses whether your gambling wins are taxable and other important topics regarding this subject.

The Short Answer Is Yes

I’ll cut right to the chase: yes, you do need to pay federal taxes on gambling winnings in the United States. This is especially true when you net a big win and receive a W-2G form.

According to the IRS, a gambling establishment should issue a W-2G when you win an amount that’s subject to federal income tax withholding (24% of win).

Slot machines present a famous example of when you’ll receive a W-2G form after winning so much. Casinos must issue a form when you win a prize worth $1,200 or more through slots or video poker.

As for the second point, a sportsbook or racetrack must withhold federal taxes when you win a bet worth 300x your initial stake. If you wager $5 and win $3,000, for example, then the bookmaker will issue a W-2G form and withhold $720 (24%).

Here’s a broader look at the W-2G and tax withholding threshold for different types of gambling:

• $600+ through sportsbooks and racetracks (provided it’s 300x your stake).
• $1,200+ through a slot machine, video poker machine, or bingo game.
• $1,500+ through keno.
• $5,000+ through a poker tournament.

All Winnings Are Subject to Taxation

Technically, you’re supposed to report any gambling winnings—big or small. Even if you win $20 in an office betting pool, the IRS wants to know about it.

If you want to stay above board, then you should report all wins on Form 1040 (under “other income”). As I’ll cover later, you can deduct losses from winnings as well.

Furthermore, any amount that’s withheld by a casino, poker room, sportsbook, or racetrack is deducted from what you owe. Gambling establishments keep 24% of a win when they do withhold money.

W-2G Forms Don’t Apply to Table Games

You’ll receive a W-2G when earning big wins through most types of gambling. However, casino table games are an exception to the norm.

Unlike a jackpot game (e.g. video poker) or a poker tournament, casinos have no idea how much money you start with in a table game. Therefore, they can’t really determine when you do and don’t experience big wins.

Examples of table games that are exempt from W-2G forms include:

• Baccarat
• Blackjack
• Caribbean stud
• Craps
• Roulette
• Three-card poker

The IRS still expects you to pay taxes on profits earned through table games. Again, though, the casino can’t issue a W-2G because they can’t tell how much money you’ve actually won.

Some States Tax Gambling Winnings

Most states tax your income, including gambling winnings. Depending upon where you live, you’ll probably need to pay taxes to both the IRS and your state.

For Example:

Michigan features a 4.25% flat income tax. The Wolverine State expects you to pay this same 4.25% rate on gambling wins.

West Virginia, on the other hand, doesn’t tax your winnings. Casinos/sportsbooks in the Mountaineer State only withhold federal taxes (when necessary).

Assuming you travel to another state to gamble, you may have two states wanting taxes. Luckily, though, you won’t be subject to double taxation.

Instead, your home state will give you credit for whatever taxes are paid to the state where the winnings occurred.

Can You Deduct Losses?

You can deduct gambling losses from winnings. However, these deductions are itemized rather than standard deductions.

Here’s an example to explain:

• You win $5,000 through sports betting.
• You lose $4,500.
• You must report the full $5,000—not $500 (5,000 – 4,500)—under other income.
• Meanwhile, the $4,500 is reported through various itemized deductions.

In short, itemized deductions are expenses that reduce your taxable income. The standardized variety includes flat-dollar, common deductions.

You may be able to save more money through itemized deductions. However, standard deductions are easier to deal with and also have the potential to save you more money.

Regardless, you must use itemized deductions when dealing with losses. This means spending more time on your tax returns or working with an accountant.

Keep in mind that you won’t receive a tax refund for gambling losses. Instead, you can only deduct an amount equal to your winnings each year. If you win $3,500, for example, then you can’t deduct more than $3.5k and expect a return.

Keep Records on Wins & Losses

The IRS may take your word at face value when it comes to gambling. Of course, they also have the ability to audit you when they deem it necessary.

That said, you don’t want to guestimate on your wins and losses. Instead, you want proof through the form of records.

Journals offer a great way to record your gambling activities. You can log the following for each entry:

• Date of gambling session
• Location of the establishment
• Game played
• Starting bankroll
• Ending bankroll

Such entries don’t guarantee you’re being honest. However, they at least show the IRS that you’re making a legitimate attempt at recordkeeping.

You can take your recordkeeping efforts even further by holding onto any other relevant documents. Betting slips, winning tickets, canceled checks, bank statements, W-2G forms, and anything else of relevance are all worth saving.

What Happens If You Don’t Report Gambling Winnings?

The IRS fully expects you to report gambling winnings and especially annual profits. They don’t take kindly to you failing to report these wins.

Of course, you’re unlikely to draw an audit for winning a $25 sports bet. You stand a higher chance of being audited, though, if you win enough for a W-2G form.

In this case, the casino/sportsbook/racetrack also sends a copy of the from to the IRS. The latter features reliable software that can match up your reported income with documentation of nonreported income.

Assuming you fail to report gambling winnings, then the IRS may do little more than send a letter and issue a small fine. You should definitely pay up, or at least work out a payment plan, in this case.

You’ll face more serious consequences, though, if you fail to report a huge win and lie about the matter when/if caught. Refusal to pay and/or heavy efforts to cover up the deceit will lead to bigger fines and possibly jail time.

Gamblers Stand Increased Chances of an Audit

Nobody likes attracting an audit from the IRS. Unfortunately, the chances of being audited increase for gamblers.

Do Native American Casinos Report Winnings To Irs

This is especially true when you net a big win and receive a W-2G. Of course, you can reduce the odds of being audited by claiming anything on the form.

The IRS may also become suspicious if you claim big losses on your tax return. You’ll put the taxman on increased alert when winning a huge prize (e.g. $50,000) and claiming a matching amount of losses.

Also, you can’t write off hotel stays, meals, and entertainment as a casual gambler. You must be a professional to claim such itemized deductions.

How Do Professional Gamblers Report Winnings?

Pro gamblers claim winnings on Schedule C as a self-employed person rather than as other income on Form 1040.

Even as a professional, you can’t deduct more losses than winnings in a year. You’re stuck in a tough situation with treating gambling as a day job, yet not being able to file losses that exceed winnings.

As mentioned before, though, you’re able to deduct business expenses like hotel stays and meals. These expenses just need to be a legitimate part of your business.

Reporting Gambling Winnings Irs

Conclusion

In answer to the original question, yes, you’re supposed to claim real money gambling winnings on federal tax forms. Even if you end up losing money on the year, the IRS wants to see your wins and losses.

Of course, tax collectors don’t care a great deal when you win $200 on the year. They spend most of their time looking for bigger winners.

The times when you want to be especially diligent in this matter include:

• When you book a large win and receive a W-2G form.
• If you win a significant amount of profits throughout the year.
• When you win 600x your bet with a sports or horse wager.

Again, the IRS and your state (if applicable) expect all gambling winnings to be reported. But you can use some commonsense in deciding when reporting wins are truly necessary.

Please enable JavaScript to view the comments powered by Disqus.