Can You Claim Gambling Winnings On Your Taxes
You can't deduct more in gambling losses than you have in gambling winnings for the year. For example, suppose you reported $13,000 in gambling winnings on Line 21 of Form 1040.
More Articles
- If your losses exceed your winnings, the amount you deduct cannot exceed the total amount of your winnings. Keep records of the gambling losses you claim on your tax return. You can do this by keeping a gambling log or hanging onto losing bet tickets, lottery tickets, and bingo cards. Don’t worry about knowing these tax rules.
- Only if you itemize. Then you can claim the gambling losses up to the amount of your winnings as shown on your return. You have to keep good records and show ALL of your winnings as taxable income, and are only allowed a deduction up to the amount of your winnings.
- You can deduct your gambling losses if you itemize on a Form 1040 Schedule A. You have to track all your losses and winnings and report them comprehensively, and you can only deduct up to the amount of gambling income you report.
- Only if you itemize. Then you can claim the gambling losses up to the amount of your winnings as shown on your return. You have to keep good records and show ALL of your winnings as taxable income.
If you had a successful night at the slots or poker tables, you're going to have to share some of the lucky proceeds with Uncle Sam. The Internal Revenue Service generally requires that you report your gambling winnings and losses separately when you file your taxes rather than combining the two amounts.
Record Keeping
Do You Have To Claim Gambling Winnings On Your Taxes
As you gamble during the year, you need to keep records of your winnings and losses so that you can support whatever figures you report on your taxes. The IRS permits you to use per-session recording, which means that instead of recording whether you won or lost each time you pull the slot machine, you can simply record your total for the session. Your records should include the date and type of gambling, where you gambled and if you gambled with anyone else, such as a home poker game. If you win more than $600, you should receive a Form W-2G from the casino.
Taxable Winnings
When figuring your gambling winnings, only include the winnings from each session rather than using losses to offset your gains. You have to include gambling winnings even if you didn't receive a Form W-2G from the casino. For example, if you gambled six times during the year, winning $100, $3,000, $4,000 and $6,000 but losing $5,000 and $2,000, your gambling winnings for the year are $13,100. This amount gets reported on line 21 of your Form 1040 tax return.
Gambling Losses
Can You Claim Gambling Winnings On Your Taxes Due
To claim your gambling losses, you have to itemize your deductions. Gambling losses are a miscellaneous deduction, but -- unlike some other miscellaneous deductions -- you can deduct the entire loss. The deduction goes on line 28 of Schedule A and you have to note that the deduction is for gambling losses. For example, if you lost $5,000 on one occasion and $7,000 on another, your total deduction is $12,000.
Gambling Loss Limitation
You can't deduct more in gambling losses than you have in gambling winnings for the year. For example, suppose you reported $13,000 in gambling winnings on Line 21 of Form 1040. Even if you lost $100,000 that year, your gambling loss deduction is limited to $13,000. Worse, you aren't allowed to carry forward the excess, so if you had $87,000 in losses you couldn't deduct last year, you can't use that to offset the gambling income from the current year.
- tax forms image by Chad McDermott from Fotolia.com