Gambling takes many forms, including casino games, horse racing, sports book betting, lotto tickets, scratches, bingo, etc. For virtually everyone, gambling is a recreational activity and, as such, is done for fun. For most gamblers, their losses for the year will exceed their winnings, and since losses in excess of winnings are not deductible, most gamblers don’t bother to report either, which isn’t in line with the tax law’s filing requirements.
If your winnings at one time hit certain levels, the government requires the gambling establishment to collect your Social Security number and report your winnings to Uncle Sam on a Form W-2G. Gambling establishments will issue a Form W-2G if you:
Many individuals believe that they only have to report the winnings for which they receive a Form W2-G. Unfortunately, the IRS has a different viewpoint. Although you may be able to offset your reported gains with gambling losses, the IRS anticipates that you will also have had gambling winnings that were under the W2-G reporting threshold and will raise this issue during an audit.
The good news is that you can deduct gambling losses if you itemize your deductions but only to the extent of your gambling income. In other words, you can’t have a net gambling loss on your tax return. Bad news: if you don’t itemize your deductions, you will have to pay taxes on the entire winnings, even if you have a net gambling loss, as is the case for most individuals
Since you cannot net your winnings and losses, the full amount of your winnings end up in your adjusted gross income (AGI). The AGI is used to limit other tax benefits, as discussed later. So, the higher the AGI, the more tax benefits may be limited.
If you don’t itemize your deductions, you can’t deduct your losses. Thus, individuals taking the standard deduction will end up paying taxes on all of their winnings, even if they had a net loss.
Tax reform brought higher standard deduction amounts and, for itemized deductions, limited the deduction for state and local taxes and eliminated the deduction for unreimbursed employee business expenses and investment expenses, among other changes. The anticipated result is that fewer taxpayers will be itemizing their deductions and more gamblers will be paying taxes on their winnings.
The next logical question is: how are you going to document your gambling losses, if audited? Don’t rush down to the track and start collecting discarded tickets, since they generally aren’t acceptable documentation because of their ready availability. The IRS has published guidelines on acceptable documentation to verify losses. They indicate that an accurate diary or similar record that is regularly maintained by the taxpayer, supplemented by verifiable documentation, will usually be acceptable evidence to substantiate wagering winnings and losses. In general, this diary should contain at least the following information:
(1) the date and type of each specific wager or wagering activity,
(2) the name of the gambling establishment,
(3) the address or location of the gambling establishment,
(4) the names of other persons (if any) present with the taxpayer at the gambling establishment, and
(5) the amounts won or lost.
Save all available documentation, including items such as losing lottery and keno tickets, checks, and casino credit slips. You should also save any related documentation such as hotel bills, plane tickets, entry tickets, and other items that would document your presence at a gambling location. If you are a member of a slot club, the casino may be able to provide a record of your electronic play. You might also obtain affidavits from designated gambling officials at the gambling facility. With regard to specific wagering transactions, your winnings and losses might be further supported by:
Because gambling income is reported in full as income and the losses are an itemized deduction, gambling winnings increase a taxpayer’s AGI for the year. An individual’s AGI is used to limit other tax benefits, and having a gambling income can have an adverse impact on your taxes.
Here are some examples:
If your gambling winnings push your AGI for the year over the threshold amount, then your gambling winnings – even if you had a net loss – can cause some (up to 85%) of your Social Security benefits to be taxable.
Thus, the addition of gambling income to your family’s income can result in significant reductions in the insurance subsidy, requiring you to pay more for your family’s health insurance coverage for the year. Additionally, if your subsidy was based upon your estimated income for the year, your premiums were reduced by applying the subsidy in advance, and you subsequently had some gambling winnings, then you could get stuck paying back part of the subsidy when you file your return for the year.
Regardless of whether you were a winner or loser, if your online account was over $10,000, you will be required to file a FinCEN Form 114 (Report of Foreign Bank and Financial Accounts), commonly referred to as the FBAR. For non-willful violations, civil penalties up to $10,000 may be imposed; the penalty for willful violations is greater than $100,000 or 50% of the account’s balance at the time of the violation.
If you have questions related to gambling and taxes, please contact us.