Taxes on Gambling Winnings and Deducting Gambling Losses
In gambling, there are winners and losers... But even the winners can be losers if they don't pay their
taxes! Any money you win gambling or wagering is considered taxable income by the IRS. So is the fair market
value of any item you win. Gambling income isn't just card games and casinos; it includes winnings from
racetracks, game shows, lotteries, and even Bingo. Certain special rules apply to gambling income, and there
are strict recordkeeping requirements. However, you may be able to deduct gambling losses.
Taxable Gambling Income
Gambling income is almost always
taxable income
. This includes cash and the fair market value of any item you win. By law, gambling winners must report
all of their winnings on their federal income tax returns.
Depending on the amount of your winnings, you may receive one or more Forms W-2G, which reports the amount
of your winnings, as well as the amount of tax that was withheld, if any. You will need these forms to
prepare your tax return. Remember that, even if you do not get a W-2G, you must report all gambling
winnings.
Gambling Winnings
Gambling winnings include, but are not limited to, money or prizes earned from:
- Casino games
- Slot machines
- Keno
- Poker tournaments
- Lotteries
- Sweepstakes
- Raffles
- Betting pools
- Gameshows
- Horse or dog races
- Off-track betting
- Bingo
Your gambling winnings are generally subject to a flat 25% tax. However, for the following sources listed
below, gambling winnings over $5,000 are subject to income tax withholding:
-
Any sweepstakes, wagering pool (including payments made to winnners of poker tournaments), or lottery.
- Any other wager (if the proceeds are at least 300 times the amount of the bet).
If you win a non-cash prize, such as a car or a trip, you will be responsible for paying taxes on the fair
market value of each prize.
Depending upon the amount of your winnings and the type of gambling, the establishment or payer may be
required to withhold income taxes. In general, 25% of the amount is required to be withheld. In some cases,
a backup withholding of 28% is required instead. If tax is withheld from your gambling winnings, you will be
sent a Form W2-G from the payer.
Gambling Losses
You may deduct gambling losses if you itemize your
deductions
. You
can deduct your losses only up to the amount of your total gambling winnings. You must generally report your
winnings and losses separately, rather than reporting a net amount.
Gambling losses are deducted on Schedule A as a miscellaneous deduction and are not subject to a 2% limit.
This means that you can deduct all losses up to the amount of your winnings, not just the amount over 2% of
your adjusted gross income.
Gambling Records
The IRS requires you to keep detailed records of your gambling winnings and losses, and to keep any related
documents, including receipts, tickets, payment slips, statements, Form W-2G, and Form 5754. You must be
able to prove both your winnings and losses if you wish to deduct your losses. The IRS suggests that you
keep a gambling log or diary.
The IRS requires you to keep the following information about each gambling win and loss:
- Date
- Type of gambling activity
- Name and address of the establishment or event
- Names of other people there at the time of the activity
- Amounts of winnings and losses
If you efile your tax return, you do not have to send any W-2Gs or other documents to the IRS (but you must
keep them for your records in case of audit).
Professional Gambling
The rules described on this page are for the majority of people with gambling income, those who are not
professional gamblers. If gambling is your actual profession, then your gambling income is generally
considered regular earned income and is taxed at your normal
effective income tax rate
.
As a self-employed individual, you will need to report your income and expenses on Schedule C. You can
deduct gambling losses as job expenses using Schedule C, not Schedule A.
Gambling Income Tax Requirements for Nonresidents
U.S. Nonresidents can usually report income that is "effectively connected" with a U.S. business on Form
1040NR-EZ. Gambling winnings, however, are considered to be "not effectively connected" and so must
generally be reported on Form 1040NR. Such income is generally taxed at a flat rate of 30%. Nonresident
aliens generally cannot deduct gambling losses.
However, there is a tax treaty between the United States and Canada that generally allows Canadian citizens
to deduct their gambling losses, up to the amount of their gambling winnings.
Reporting Gambling Winnings and Losses
If you have gambling winnings or losses, they must be reported on your tax return. When you prepare your
return on eFile.com, during the tax interview you will be asked if you have gambling income or losses and if
so, you will be asked for more information. We will prepare all the forms needed to report this on your
return so you don't have to worry about which form you need. eFile.com walks you through the tax
preparation process, helps you fill out the right forms, and checks for errors.