noncash - Linkenheimer LLP CPAs & Advisors

The Tax Implications of Being a Winner

If you’re lucky enough to be a winner at gambling or the lottery, congratulations! After you celebrate, be ready to deal with the tax consequences of your good fortune.

Winning at gambling

Whether you win at the casino, a bingo hall, or elsewhere, you must report 100% of your winnings as taxable income. They’re reported on the “Other income” line on Schedule 1 of your 1040 tax return. To measure your winnings on a particular wager, use the net gain. For example, if a $30 bet at the race track turns into a $110 win, you’ve won $80, not $110.

You must separately keep track of losses. They’re deductible, but only as itemized deductions. Therefore, if you don’t itemize and take the standard deduction, you can’t deduct gambling losses. In addition, gambling losses are […]

Noncash Charitable Contributions: Documentation

To Our Clients and Friends:

As we approach the end of the year, a recent Tax Court case is a good reminder of what it takes to support a deduction for noncash charitable contributions that perhaps you’ve already given this year or plan to donate in the coming weeks.

The taxpayer in the case claimed a deduction of almost $28,000 for three separate noncash donations to a charitable organization. The donated items consisted of clothes, household goods and furniture, and various electronics, including computers and a printer. Because of the size of the donations, he was subject to several documentation requirements related to substantiating his donations. These included:

A need to obtain a written acknowledgment from the charity (required any time cash or noncash donations are $250 or more) describing what was donated and when, and stating either that no goods or services were rendered in return for the donation or describing and valuing what the charity provided in return. The acknowledgment must be obtained by the time the tax return for the year of the donation is filed or due, whichever comes first.
A requirement to maintain documentation for noncash donations of the same or similar items […]