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- Do You Have To Claim Gambling Winnings On Your Taxes Owed
- Do You Have To Claim Gambling Winnings On Your Taxes
- Do You Have To Claim Gambling Winnings On Your Taxes Due
- Do You Have To Claim Gambling Winnings On Your Taxes Refund
Gambling losses are indeed tax deductible, but only to the extent of your winnings and requires you to report all the money you win as taxable income on your return. The deduction is only available if you itemize your deductions. If you claim the standard deduction, then you can't reduce your tax by your gambling losses.
The IRS views winnings from gambling as taxable income, but did you know that you're allowed to deduct gambling losses, too? While losing money at a casino or the racetrack does not by itself relieve your tax burden, it can reduce taxes owed for your other winnings, ultimately saving you money.
How to know if you can deduct your gambling losses
Gambling loss deductions save you money by reducing your taxable income. But there's a trick to this—you can't claim gambling losses that exceed your winnings, as losses are inextricably linked to your winnings for tax purposes. If you have no winnings to claim, you can't deduct your losses.
- You do not file income belonging to your dependent on your own federal income tax return. Your return should only include income that is yours and, if Married Filing Jointly, your spouse's. Your dependent will have to file his own tax return, indicating that he can be claimed as a dependent on someone else's return.
- All gambling winnings are taxable income—that is, income that is subject to both federal and state income taxes (except for the seven states that have no income taxes). It makes no difference how you earn your winnings, whether at a casino, gambling website, Church raffle, or your friendly neighborhood poker game.
- The IRS classifies all gambling winnings as taxable income–whether or not these winnings were earned legally. Such income can come from raffles, lotteries, horse races, and casinos. The IRS doesn't mention sports betting on its website, but these do count as gambling winnings.
- Frequently Asked Gambling Taxes Questions Do I Have To Pay Taxes On Gambling Winnings From A Casino? Yes, you must pay taxes on gambling winnings from a casino. A more detailed explanation of how gambling winnings are taxed can be found above. You are legally required to report your income from all types of gambling activities.
As an example, let's say that in a given year you went gambling twice, winning $6,000 in one instance, but losing $8,000 in another. In this case, you can only deduct $6,000 from that $8,000 loss. The remaining $2,000 in losses can't be carried forward or written off. Conversely, if you won more than you lost, you'd owe taxes on the difference between your winnings and losses as 'other income'—but at least those taxes would be reduced.
(If you're a full-time, professional gambler the requirements are different: you will report your earnings like they have resulted from a business, as self-employed income).
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How to claim gambling losses
Deductible gambling losses can result from online casinos, poker games, sports betting, lotteries, prize draws, horse and dog racing, and even your office fantasy sports pool. To report any of these gambling losses, you'll be required to itemize your deductions. This makes sense if the total of all your itemized deductions exceeds the standard deduction ($12,400 for taxpayers who are single or are filing separately from their spouse). If you claim the standard deduction, you don't get the opportunity to reduce taxes for winnings owed by deducting gambling losses.
Keep in mind that you must be able to substantiate any losses you're claiming, which means you'll need to keep records of your gambling.
Track your winnings and losses
You can't just say 'I lost a bunch of money gambling' to the IRS. They require you to provide records of your winnings and losses to back your claim. Therefore, you should keep track of:
- the date and time of your gambling session
- the type of gambling
- the name and location of the gambling venue
- the people you gambled with
- how much you bet, won and lost
You should also keep credit cards statements, payout slips, receipts, tickets, bank withdrawal records, and statements of actual winnings. Other documentation can include:
- Form W-2G (typically given or mailed to you by casinos after a big payout)
- Form 5754 (a form for when you're part of a group that earns money through gambling; you might see one of these if you and your co-workers are cashing in a winning lottery ticket)
Do you or someone you know need help with a gambling problem? Call the National Problem Gambling Helpline Network (1-800-522-4700).
Gamblers understand the concept of win some, lose some. But the IRS? It prefers exact numbers. Specifically, your tax return should reflect your total year's gambling winnings – from the big blackjack score to the smaller fantasy football payout. That's because you're required to report each stroke of luck as taxable income — big or small, buddy or casino.
If you itemize your deductions, you can offset your winnings by writing off your gambling losses.
It may sound complicated, but TaxAct will walk you through the entire process, start to finish. That way, you leave nothing on the table.
How much can I deduct in gambling losses?
You can report as much as you lost in 2019 , but you cannot deduct more than you won. And you can only do this if you're itemizing your deductions. If you're taking the standard deduction, you aren't eligible to deduct your gambling losses on your tax return, but you are still required to report all of your winnings.
Where do I file this on my tax forms?
Let's say you took two trips to Vegas this year. In Trip A, you won $6,000 in poker. In the Trip B, you lost $8,000. You must list each individually, with the winnings noted on your return as taxable income and the loss as an itemized deduction in Schedule A. In this instance, you won't owe tax on your winnings because your total loss is greater than your total win by $2,000. However, you do not get to deduct that net $2,000 loss, only the first $6,000.
Now, let's flip those numbers. Say in Trip A, you won $8,000 in poker. In Trip B, you lost $6,000. You'll report the $8,000 win on your return, the $6,000 loss deduction on Schedule A, and still owe taxes on the remaining $2,000 of your winnings.
What's a W-2G? And should I have one?
A W-2G is an official withholding document; it's typically issued by a casino or other professional gaming organization. You may receive a W-2G onsite when your payout is issued. Or, you may receive one in the mail after the fact. Gaming centers must issue W-2Gs by January 31. When they send yours, they also shoot a copy to the IRS, so don't roll the dice: report those winnings as taxable income.
Do You Have To Claim Gambling Winnings On Your Taxes Owed
If you itemize your deductions, you can offset your winnings by writing off your gambling losses.
It may sound complicated, but TaxAct will walk you through the entire process, start to finish. That way, you leave nothing on the table.
How much can I deduct in gambling losses?
You can report as much as you lost in 2019 , but you cannot deduct more than you won. And you can only do this if you're itemizing your deductions. If you're taking the standard deduction, you aren't eligible to deduct your gambling losses on your tax return, but you are still required to report all of your winnings.
Where do I file this on my tax forms?
Let's say you took two trips to Vegas this year. In Trip A, you won $6,000 in poker. In the Trip B, you lost $8,000. You must list each individually, with the winnings noted on your return as taxable income and the loss as an itemized deduction in Schedule A. In this instance, you won't owe tax on your winnings because your total loss is greater than your total win by $2,000. However, you do not get to deduct that net $2,000 loss, only the first $6,000.
Now, let's flip those numbers. Say in Trip A, you won $8,000 in poker. In Trip B, you lost $6,000. You'll report the $8,000 win on your return, the $6,000 loss deduction on Schedule A, and still owe taxes on the remaining $2,000 of your winnings.
What's a W-2G? And should I have one?
A W-2G is an official withholding document; it's typically issued by a casino or other professional gaming organization. You may receive a W-2G onsite when your payout is issued. Or, you may receive one in the mail after the fact. Gaming centers must issue W-2Gs by January 31. When they send yours, they also shoot a copy to the IRS, so don't roll the dice: report those winnings as taxable income.
Do You Have To Claim Gambling Winnings On Your Taxes Owed
Don't expect to get a W-2G for the $6 you won playing the Judge Judy slot machine. Withholding documents are triggered by amount of win and type of game played.
Expect to receive a W-2G tax form if you won:
Do You Have To Claim Gambling Winnings On Your Taxes
- $1,200 or more on slots or bingo
- $1,500 or more on keno
- $5,000 or more in poker
- $600 or more on other games, but only if the payout is at least 300 times your wager
Tip: Withholding only applies to your net winnings, which is your payout minus your initial wager.
Do You Have To Claim Gambling Winnings On Your Taxes Due
What kinds of records should I keep?
Keep a journal with lists, including: each place you've gambled; the day and time; who was with you; and how much you bet, won, and lost. You should also keep receipts, payout slips, wagering tickets, bank withdrawal records, and statements of actual winnings. You may also write off travel expenses associated with loss, so hang on to airfare receipts.
Use TaxAct to file your gambling wins and losses. We'll help you find every advantage you're owed – guaranteed.
Do You Have To Claim Gambling Winnings On Your Taxes Refund
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