How to Substantiate Gambling Tax Losses

How To Substantiate Gambling Tax Losses

There are several types of tax disputes that are frequently litigated. Gambling losses are an example. Taxpayers who gamble often incur significant losses. If the taxpayer is found to be a professional gambler, these losses can be counted for income tax purposes and used to offset the taxpayer’s other income. These tax losses can reduce…

Can Gambling Losses be Deducted as Casualty Losses?

Can Gambling Losses Be Deducted As Casualty Losses?

If a taxpayer cannot deduct gambling losses given the restrictions on gambling losses, can they deduct them as casualty losses instead? What if the gambling loss are attributable to prescription medications known to cause compulsive gambling? The court addresses this in Mancini v. Commissioner, T.C. Memo. 2019-16. Facts & Procedural History The taxpayer diagnosed with…

Early IRA Distribution, Gambling Not a Disability

Retaining Rights With A Charitable Conservation Easement

Early distributions from IRAs are subject to a 10 percent additional tax.  The 10 percent additional tax does not apply if the distribution is taken when the IRA owner is disabled.  The recent Gillette v. Commissioner, T.C. Memo. 2018-195, case addresses whether medically-induced compulsive gambling qualifies as a disability. The Facts & Procedural History The taxpayer-wife is a…

Opting Out of Gaming Industry Tip Compliance

The IRS often challenges the amount of income received by workers who are paid tips.  The IRS’s Gaming Industry Tip Compliance Agreement Program (“GITCA Program”) provides a method for avoiding these disputes.  But what happens if you opt out of the tip program?  The Sabolic v. Commissioner, T.C. Memo. 2015-32, case provides the answer. The Facts &…

Tax on Nonresident Alien Gambling Winnings

Are non-resident aliens who receive gambling winnings while visiting the U.S. able to deduct the gambling expenses incurred in earning the gambling winnings? And can they avoid the withholding tax on their gambling winnings? The court addresses these international tax law issues in Park v. Commissioner, 136 T.C. 569 (T.C. 2011). Facts & Procedural History…

One Ticket or Two? Withholding Tax on Small Lottery Winnings

Winning the lottery can be a dream come true for many, but it can also trigger a number of tax-related complexities. This includes everything from income tax on the sale of lottery payments to substantiating lottery costs and losses. The IRS frequently challenges these issues on audit. One of these complexities arises when it comes…

Sale of Lottery Payments: Capital or Ordinary?

The IRS is always waiting for taxpayers to have windfalls as the tax on these one-time events is significant. Lottery winnings are no exception, as they are treated as income from gambling and subject to ordinary income tax rates, which can be as high as 38% or more depending on the amount won. But what…

Video Poker Cannot Qualify as Professional Gambling

As technology and computers advance, there are more and more activities that put us, as humans, against computers. We, as humans, are in the position of having to game or strategize how to manipulate or beat computers to produce desired results. While it is not pointed out generally, whole industries are focused on doing just…

Is Tournament Poker the Same as Live-Action Poker?

Are tournament poker losses subject to the same tax rules as live-action poker losses? This question turns on whether tournament poker is a “wagering activity.” Despite the amount of money at stake and the importance to taxpayers who gamble, the term wagering activity is not defined. This is where the recent Today, in Tschetschot v.…