Iowa Gambling Taxes

NATEizKING

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Feb 18, 2011
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Can someone explain how this all works? New to the game this year, here are some questions I have:

1. Under $600 = no taxes?
2. Is over $600 taxed like normal income at your income bracket?
3. Is the $600 taxed as well or just what is over $600?
 

scottie33

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Nov 25, 2006
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Following as I won $750 and $2,000 on PGA DFS...still a lot of time left in 2021 to recognize some losses haha
 

BCClone

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Not exactly sure.
Can someone explain how this all works? New to the game this year, here are some questions I have:

1. Under $600 = no taxes?
2. Is over $600 taxed like normal income at your income bracket?
3. Is the $600 taxed as well or just what is over $600?
All of it taxed. Are you talking at a casino, lottery, or where? The facilities take X percentage to just make sure something is paid and you don't try to hide it totally. You can google it and it comes up pretty easily. I can't remember if it has its own rate or is just taxable income.
 

NATEizKING

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Feb 18, 2011
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All of it taxed. Are you talking at a casino, lottery, or where? The facilities take X percentage to just make sure something is paid and you don't try to hide it totally. You can google it and it comes up pretty easily. I can't remember if it has its own rate or is just taxable income.
Sports betting mostly, I did some Googling but they make such easy questions difficult to understand.
 

BCClone

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Not exactly sure.
Sports betting mostly, I did some Googling but they make such easy questions difficult to understand.
See the link I posted. I feel it explains it fairly well. On taxable amounts, the place withholds 24%. This isn't what you necessarily owe in taxes, it's what they are required to withhold. When you file you taxes, it will go in as income and be taxed at the appropriate rate, so many people say to put a little extra in savings to cover things. Even if you are in the 22% tax bracket, no State taxes have been withheld.
 

keepngoal

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IIRC, you can only claim gambling losses, if there are winnings being reported. Is that correct?
 
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IcSyU

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It's all taxable as ordinary income. Most people commit tax fraud and don't report it if they don't receive a W2G for it.

You can deduct loses up to winnings but it only helps if you itemize and most don't anymore.
 

keepngoal

OKA: keepingoal
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It's all taxable as ordinary income. Most people commit tax fraud and don't report it if they don't receive a W2G for it.

You can deduct loses up to winnings but it only helps if you itemize and most don't anymore.
Another reason to only sometimes use your players card. :)
 

Clonehomer

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Apr 11, 2006
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So with online sports gambling specifically, it's not considered income unless you cash out, correct? You don't have to pay taxes on each play if it's going into and out of your account balance?

I'm thinking like playing poker. You don't pay taxes on each hand, only what you end up with at the end of the night.

Obviously, that's different than a physical sports book where you turn in slips for cash on each play.
 

Cyclonefan710

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So with online sports gambling specifically, it's not considered income unless you cash out, correct? You don't have to pay taxes on each play if it's going into and out of your account balance?

I'm thinking like playing poker. You don't pay taxes on each hand, only what you end up with at the end of the night.

Obviously, that's different than a physical sports book where you turn in slips for cash on each play.

Pretty sure that’s false
 
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Clonehomer

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Apr 11, 2006
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Pretty sure that’s false

If they're tracking each bet then I would have gone over $600 on William Hill last year and should have received a W2G. If they were only including cash outs then I was underneath the $600 limit. I didn't get a W2G and see on their app that one wasn't created for me. Might need to get this cleared up before doing the taxes.
 

DreamyFred21

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If they're tracking each bet then I would have gone over $600 on William Hill last year and should have received a W2G. If they were only including cash outs then I was underneath the $600 limit. I didn't get a W2G and see on their app that one wasn't created for me. Might need to get this cleared up before doing the taxes.
It’s very stupid, but what triggers a W2G is an individual bet that pays out $600+ AND is 300:1 odds or greater. It’s dumb because 99%+ of gamblers will never hit a bet that triggers one. Also, if you request one from the books, they will say no. When I asked for one at DK, they at least sent me a summary of my gross winnings and losses so I will be covered there, but I have tens of thousands of dollars over hundreds of bets elsewhere that I will have to go back and manually calculate my results. The books should send one to everyone IMO. I’d be surprised if there isn’t something done about this in the future with sports betting legalization continuing in more places as I’m sure there will be a lot of money not reported since folks aren’t receiving forms to let them know what to report.
 

Cyclonefan710

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It’s very stupid, but what triggers a W2G is an individual bet that pays out $600+ AND is 300:1 odds or greater. It’s dumb because 99%+ of gamblers will never hit a bet that triggers one. Also, if you request one from the books, they will say no. When I asked for one at DK, they at least sent me a summary of my gross winnings and losses so I will be covered there, but I have tens of thousands of dollars over hundreds of bets elsewhere that I will have to go back and manually calculate my results. The books should send one to everyone IMO. I’d be surprised if there isn’t something done about this in the future with sports betting legalization continuing in more places as I’m sure there will be a lot of money not reported since folks aren’t receiving forms to let them know what to report.
300:1 as in +30000?