Before you see a dollar of lottery winnings, the IRS will take 25%. Up to an additional 13% could be withheld in state and local taxes, depending on where you live. Still, you'll probably owe more when taxes are due, since the top federal tax rate is 37%. According to an explanation sheet on the IRS website, the federal income tax on gambling winnings is 25 percent. But the tax headache doesn't stop there. But the tax headache doesn't stop there. If your winnings are at least 300 times greater than the initial wager, you will be required to pay a backup holding, which is an additional 28. IRS Withholding. All casino winnings are subject to federal taxes. However, the IRS only requires the casinos to report wins over $1,200 on slots and video poker machines or other games such as keno, lottery or horse racing. Gambling Winnings. A payer is required to issue you a Form W-2G, Certain Gambling Winnings PDF if you receive certain gambling winnings or have any gambling winnings subject to federal income tax withholding. You must report all gambling winnings as 'Other Income' on Form 1040 or Form 1040-SR PDF (use Schedule 1 (Form 1040 or 1040-SR) PDF. If you refuse to fill out the form or provide your Social Security number, most establishments will take 28 percent of your winnings, in accordance with federal law source: IRS. You don't have to fill out the W2-G form for winnings on table games, including craps, blackjack, pai gow, baccarat and roulette.
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
Restaurant treasury casino brisbane california. 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. Grosvenor casino reading south bend. 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.
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.
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.Before you see a dollar of lottery winnings, the IRS will take 25%. Up to an additional 13% could be withheld in state and local taxes, depending on where you live. Still, you'll probably owe more when taxes are due, since the top federal tax rate is 37%. So the best first step lottery winners can take is to hire a financial advisor who can help with tax and investment strategies. Read on for more about how taxes on lottery winnings work and what the smart money would do.
How Are Lottery Winnings Taxed?
The IRS considers net lottery winnings ordinary taxable income. So after subtracting the cost of your ticket, you will owe federal income taxes on what remains. How much exactly depends on your tax bracket, which is based on your winnings and other sources of income, so the IRS withholds only 25%. You'll owe the rest when you file your taxes in April.
The Trump Tax Plan dropped the highest tax bracket rate from 39% to 37%, so recent winners (and high earners) have caught a small break. You can find your bracket on the table below.
2018 – 2019 Tax Brackets | ||
Single Filers | Married Filing Jointly | Tax Rate |
$0 – $9,525 | $0 – $19,050 | 10% |
$9,526 – $38,700 | $19,051 – $77,400 | 12% |
$38,701 – $82,500 | $77,401 – $165,000 | 22% |
$82,501 – $157,500 | $165,001 – $315,000 | 24% |
$157,501 – $200,000 | $315,001 – $400,000 | 32% |
$200,001 – $500,000 | $400,001 – $600,000 | 35% |
$500,001+ | $600,001+ | 37% |
On the bright side, if you're in the top bracket, you don't actually pay 37% on all your income. Federal income tax is progressive. As a single filer and after deductions, you pay:
- 10% on the first $9,700 you earn
- 12% on the next $29,775
- 22% on the next $44,725
- 24% on the next $76,525
- 32% on the next $43,375
- 35% on the next $306,200
- 37% on any amount more than $510,300
In other words, say you make $40,000 a year and you won $100,000 in the lottery. That raises your total ordinary taxable income to $140,000, with $25,000 withheld from your winnings for federal taxes. As you can see from the table above, your winning lottery ticket bumped you up from the 22% marginal tax rate to the 24% rate (assuming you are a single filer and, for simplicity's sake here, had no deductions).
But that doesn't mean you pay a 24% tax on the entire $140,000. You pay that rate on only the portion of your income that surpasses $84,200. In this case, that's on $55,800. Your total tax bill would be $970 (10% of $9,700) + $3,573 (12% of $29,775) + $9,839.50 (22% of $44,725) + $13,392 (24% of 55,800) = $27,774.50. Usually, your employer would have withheld federal taxes from your paycheck, but if for some reason your employer didn't, you would still owe $2,774.50 in federal taxes ($27,774.50 – $25,000).
Of course, if you were already in the 37% tax bracket when you win the lottery, you would have to pay the top marginal rate on all your prize money.
But these rules apply only to federal income tax. Your city and state may want a cut, too.
How Are Lottery Winnings Taxed by State?
Come tax time, some states will also take a piece of your lottery winnings. How large a piece depends on where you live. The Big Apple takes the biggest bite, at up to 13%. That's because New York State's income tax can be as high as 8.82%, and New York City levies one up to 3.876%. Yonkers taxes a leaner 1.477%. If you live almost anywhere else in New York State, though, you'd be looking at only 8.82% in state taxes, tops.
Of states that have an income tax, rates can span from about 2.9% to 8.82%. Nine states, however, don't levy a state income tax. They are:
- Alaska
- Florida
- Nevada
- New Hampshire
- South Dakota
- Tennessee
- Texas
- Washington
- Wyoming
If you live in one state and buy a ticket in another, typically the state where the ticket was bought (and the prize paid) will withhold its taxes at its rate. You will have to sort out how much you actually owe to your state at tax time (you will receive a credit for the amount already withheld–and the states will sort out who gets what between them).
These examples reflect possible outcomes from taking your winnings as a lump sum. In most cases, however, your options include taking your earnings as a series of monthly payments.
Should I Take a Lump Sum or Annuity Lottery Payments?
The answer depends on your preferences. Most financial advisors recommend you take a lump sum, because it allows you to receive a larger return if you invest it in growth-oriented assets such as stocks. You may also want all the money to be able to buy a big-ticket item like a car, house or island, if your winnings are large enough.
Winners of small jackpots, though, may want to receive their winnings in annual or monthly payments, especially if it means they'll owe less in taxes. Or they may prefer the steady stream of cash to ensure they don't make the common mistake of blowing through all or most of their winnings. If you do take the annual or monthly payments, you should still work with an advisor on how to best use that money stream. For example, you'd probably want to prioritize contributing to your retirement savings account. If you don't have one, winning the lottery may be a golden opportunity to open an individual retirement account (IRA) or Roth IRA.
In any event, you'd want to stash some cash for emergencies, taxes and other expenses down the road. Below, we provide links to reports on the best savings accounts, certificates of deposit (CDs) and investing vehicles:
How to Minimize Your Tax Burden After You Win the Lottery
Taxes on lottery winnings are unavoidable, but there are steps you can take to minimize the hit. As mentioned earlier, if your award is small enough, taking it in installments over 30 years could lower your tax liability by keeping you in a lower bracket.
How Much Federal Tax Do You Pay On Gambling Winnings Money
Also, you could donate to your favorite non-profit organizations. This move allows you to take advantage of certain itemized deductions, which, depending on your situation, could bring you into a lower tax bracket.
Additionally, if you are sharing your good fortune with family and friends, you'll want to avoid paying a gift tax. You can gift up to $15,000 per year per person without owing a gift tax. If you go over the limit, you probably still won't owe tax, since the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act raised the lifetime gift and estate tax exclusion to about $11.4 million for single filers ($22.8 million for married couples filing jointly). Any amounts over the $15,000 per year per individual will count toward the lifetime exclusion.
If you anticipate coming close to the limit, though, remember that direct payments to colleges and universities don't count as gifts; neither do direct payments to medical institutions. Also, if you are married, each of you can contribute $15,000 to a person, so that is $30,000 per year that is gift-tax free. Also, if the recipient is married, you and your spouse can give the spouse $15,000 each, which means you can give a total $60,000 to a couple, gift-tax free.
What to Do After Winning the Lottery
Winning the lottery, especially if it's a large sum, can be a life-altering event for some. What you do next can put you on the path to financial wellness for the rest of your life. Or it can put you on the roller coaster ride of your life that leaves you broke.
Perhaps the best thing to do with your winnings at first is nothing. Take time to figure out how this windfall affects your financial situation. Calculate your tax liability with an accountant and earmark at least what it will take to cover the tax bill. Then comes the fun part: creating a blueprint of how you're going to manage the rest of the cash.
How Much Federal Tax Do I Pay On Casino Winnings
But don't go it alone. Work with a qualified financial advisor who can help you preserve and grow the money. After all, no matter how large your winnings are, they aren't infinite. So making smart investments is key to your having enough money for the rest of your life.
How Much Federal Tax Do You Pay On Gambling Winnings Taxes
Tips on Finding the Right Financial Advisor
How Much Federal Tax Do You Pay On Gambling Winnings Real Money
- Use SmartAsset's pro matching tool. After you answer a few questions about your financial situation in about five minutes, the tool links you with up to three financial advisors in your area. You can then review their profiles or set up interviews before deciding to work with one.
- Ask advisors about their certifications. In addition to telling you about the advisor's training, these designations inform you about the advisor's standards. For example, a certified financial planner (CFP) is bound by the fiduciary duty to provide advice in the client's best interest at all times. Read our story to learn more about the top financial certifications.
How Much Federal Tax Do You Pay On Gambling Winnings Losses
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