I don't normally play slots or VP, more pit and NLH 4-5days a week at my local card room. However this year I was lucky enough to get 3 1099's in the few slot/vp sessions I have played . None are very large the biggest being a RF on VP for $4582.00 (Progressive I guess as I thought they paid $4000.00 on a $1 machine) Anyway, wondering what people's thoughts on taxes, do you request the taxes be taken out at the time of winning the jackpot, or do you take the full amount and offset your loss and tax time, if you offset your loss you can only claim a loss up to the amount of the jackpots right? I won a bad beat jackpot 15years ago for 32k but don't remember how I went about the taxes nor can I locate the paperwork. Anyone have any tips they might be willing to share, yes I have time yes I could ask a tax professional (I will also do that) however I don't have a professional gambling tax wiz guy and would love insight. Thank you in advance.
If you are US citizen, never have them withhold taxes. Why give the government a free loan for x number of months. I have always offset my winnings by claiming losses that equal the winnings for federal. Depending on your state, they may not let you claim losses as a deduction. Wisconsin no longer does, so all winnings are taxed.
Yea I am in CA, since I keep 2 bankrolls "Life" and "Gambling" and don't really want to pay gaming taxes out of either, I will just start a 3rd bankroll putting aside a percent of each jackpot to pay taxes later. Now you wouldn't know the taxable amount would ya?
Wish I had those problems, my wife and I have never had a hand pay. Though I have had a few $1000 slot wins and without the tax on them they are more than a $1200 handpay. But once just once I would like a handpay for the excitement of it.
One hand pay was for $1289 I was so pissed I actually joked and asked the casino if they could pay me $1199.99, I was betting something like $10bucks a spin on a .5 machine. the RH I hit on Friday was the 1st I ever hit, don't take records of VP or Slot plays since it was rare for me to play them but if I had to guess I have played less 5k hands of VP
If you offset all of your winnings by your losses then why make this third account for future taxes? Granted if you win a million dollar jackpot its pretty unlikely you would have had a million in loses to offset the whole amount. But for smaller wins, id say under 5k, just offset...how are they going to know.
@ Foxwoods 2 years ago I hit a royal flush that was 1,210.00 on July 4th I am a MA resident and took whole prize. Then went to MA greyhound track to pick up losing tickets. Paid nothing to Fed. Only MA tax
I can just driver to the casino and cash a check at the cage for say like 10k to cover my jackpots and then "LOSE IT" playing before I driver home. and your saying I would pay zero Federal?
I guess if you got a receipt from the casino when you cashed the check then you have "proof" if they audit you
I laugh out loud when I read these things. Please explain the difference in these two scenarios as explained to the IRS agent: a) after playing at Foxwoods, I went to the track and played a ton of bets. Here are all my worthless tickets or b) After winning, I stayed up all night playing at slots and blackjack, and lost the whole thing.
Contemporary records and receipts such as these are very useful in passing an IRS audit. Per the IRS: "It is important to keep an accurate diary or similar record of your gambling winnings and losses. To deduct your losses, you must be able to provide receipts, tickets, statements or other records that show the amount of both your winnings and losses."
Remember, you also have to itemize deductions on your federal tax form (this is where your gambling losses go), in order to claim losses against wins. If you can't come up with more than $11,900 in deductions of any kind (2012 married number), you're just going to have to pay the full price on the income reported on the W2-G. (I'm pretty certain it's a W2-G you get, not a 1099.)
He isn't making tons of bets...he is going and picking losing tickets out of the trash or off the ground so he can claim them as his loses and offset his win...the losing tickets are proof if he gets audited
I was not aware of this!! I thought if your loses offset your win then you could just skip the W2-G... That's how I always did scholarships and grants in college...my expenses offset all my rewards so I just left it all off...
Exactly this. I have never had a casino handpay but a racetrack 'signer'..but being single even with a lower personal exemption,still not enough deductions to be able to claim losses. And from what I understand-if audited and losing tickets are provided-they better not have any shoeprints on them..IRS likes a daily journal and I believe losing lottery tickets also qualify.. I know of a pub in Ma that sells state lottery scratch-off tickets..They band together stacks of losing ones in increments of $$$ for the next winner. My latest dilemma is playing high-stakes Fantasy Football..any legit operation reports and issues 1099's,but to deducts the expenses (Airfare,hotel in LV,entry fees) is to require a schedule D and there is no 5 digit code to enter or classify what type occupation/Fantasy Football as..It is still a grey area with the IRS as whether this is skill related or gambling related. If I win $2500 that is extra income even though it cost me $2000 to win that.Frustrating to say the least and even H+R BLOCK could not/would not handle it for me. Anything I win I just put into an IRA and offset the extra income.and I will deal with it then..
No need for any paranoia when it comes to offsetting a couple relatively small w2-g's, your chances of being audited are almost nil, and even if you are, the only possible downside is they disallow it(if they dont like your evidence), then you would simply be paying what you would have anyway. As mentioned you need to itemize to offset. about 6K single, 11K joint.