- Writing Off Gambling Losses 2019
- Writing Off Gambling Losses 2019 Memes
- Writing Off Gambling Losses 2019 2020
How do i deduct gambling losses on a California return? Complete the itemized deductions section on your federal return. That will carry over to your CA return, if you itemize on that return, even if you used the standard deduction on the federal return. While you can deduct gambling losses, these deductions cannot exceed the amount of your total winnings. For example, if you win $1,000 playing the lotto, but you've purchased $2,000 worth of losing tickets, you can write off the losing tickets only up to the amount of your $1,000 winnings, and not the entire $2,000 you lost playing. While the IRS does not have a gambling losses tax, it does allow for you to deduct gambling losses on your tax return in the form of a miscellaneous deduction. To deduct your losses from gambling, you will need to: Claim your gambling losses on Form 1040, Schedule A as Other Miscellaneous Deduction (line 28) that is not subject to the 2% limit. Treatment of Gambling Losses vs. Once you report gambling winnings, you can also then report gambling losses. Gambling losses get claimed as an itemized deduction, in section 28 in 'Other Miscellaneous Deductions'. You are only allowed to claim losses up to the amount of winnings. If taking the standard deduction, no deduction is allowed for gambling losses. Gambling (or gaming) losses may be taken only to the extent of gambling winnings (note 288 will generate). On screen A - Itemized Deductions Schedule, enter the losses as Other not subject to 2% limit (line 16 starting in Drake18; line 28 in Drake17 and prior).
- This topic has 9 replies, 8 voices, and was last updated 7 months ago by .
One of the biggest obstacles to staying stopped, chasing losses is seen by some as a classic indicator of problem gambling. Indeed, some of the literature and websites aimed at marketing 'professional' gambling, state that the biggest difference between someone who gambles to make money and someone who is a 'hobby' gambler, is that the former gambles with a fixed stake and does NOT chase losses. My problem was that when gambling I usually had a fixed stake of time, not money. I went out expecting to enjoy it for several hours and problems arose when the money ran out before the time did. In that sense I know I was a 'hobby' gambler. I never expected to win and although it was a bonus, the pleasure of gambling did notdepend on my winning. Another thing I am aware of is that when I first started to gamble – I couldn't have told you what I would do with a big win – other than to continue gambling. I was doing well materially. I was a householder, (with a mortgage) at 20 and had a company car at 21. All that soon went and I was living in lodgings and on public transport by 25, but even then with a big win I don't think I would have thought further than to have enough to pay my debts off – which were accruing at a rate that only a compulsive gambler's can. When I first sought help for my problem in my early 30s, it was the size of my debts and the increase in the repayments that made me seek help. I knew that it was only a matter of time before I would be unable to function as a normal human being with a job, somewhere to live and food in my belly, unless I found a way of stopping the leeching of money to the machines and began to make amends. But then there was still this idea in me that the 'Big Win' would make it all okay. So, hard as it was, I had to give this dream up in order to stay stopped. I was not going to put right the damage caused by gambling by doing more gambling. In order to achieve this I realised these 10 things. 1) The odds are impossible. Let's face it – if I am playing regularly on a machine that has a maximum payout of say 200 – and my debts are 40,000 – how many times would I have to win? That's if a) I ever did walk away winning and b) I could ever wrench myself away from the thing. That was my logical mind working for a change! 2) The cost of gambling was the price I had to pay to realise that I was a compulsive gambler. I know this might be a hard one to swallow – but I have learnt a lot about myself because of my gambling. I would have had to pay out thousands to counsellors, therapists and other professionals for this wisdom. Perhaps not as much as I have lost over the years but it is a way of writing some of the losses down in my mind. I was stubborn. If I could have realised I had an addictive personality much earlier then I would have saved myself a lot of money and grief. 3) Other people, (non-gamblers) can lose thousands, why can't I? There are plenty of stories out there of people who have lost money through business's going bust, scams, fires, floods and other disasters. They have pulled themselves out of it – so what is to stop me? I know one thing is that I felt bad about it because it was self-inflicted, but that is no reason not to draw a line under things and start again. 4) Thoughts about chasing losses come from my emotions. It is my emotional mind that thinks about the losses – NOT my logical mind, (see above.) I know it's that petulant child that thinks – 'it's not fair – I deserve to win.' Maybe I do, but it is not going to happen for the logical reasons already stated. Wishing it was different is not going to make it happen. 5) If I did win, I would just keep the cycle going. If I didn't win the full amount I needed I would keep playing to win more. If I won more than I needed, I would think I could afford to gamble with the excess. Soon I would be back to square one or worse. 6) I need to learn that there is more to life than having money. Again – another hard one for me, but not having money has allowed me to discover I can have a good life without it. My favourite pastime, walking is free and I enjoy going to libraries etc. where they still exist. I have also learnt the value of money – how to make savings and of alternatives such as LETS. 7) If I win big, then other people lose. Yes other poor gamblers like me or you – and if I really want the gambling industry to stop making big profits, I need to stop feeding it. The dream of the big win is what keeps the betting shops, casinos and on-line gambling sites going. A dream is all it is. 8) Dreaming of the big win gets in the way of reality. It is not the big win which will get me out of debt. I need to really look at what the debt is and how much is needed to bring it down. Reading Robert Kelsey's book, 'What's Stopping You,' helped me see that my fear of failure stopped me from trying new ways to make money and thus go back to things that would never work, gambling. I needed to concentrate on the possible. 9) It will be small steps that will make a difference. A few extra hours at work here – finding small ways to boost my income. It may take time, but then I will save time by not gambling, not having to seek money to gamble with and not having to deal with the consequences of my gambling. 10) The Einstein rule. Albert Einstein said that the definition of insanity is 'doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.' Now, I know this is true for gambling as a whole – but far more so for chasing losses. If I have chased losses before and it hasn't worked, what on earth makes me think it will work the next time? Be like Einstein – don't chase losses! So there you have my 10 reasons for not chasing losses – there may be others that I have forgotten or you may know of others. If so I would appreciate your ideas in the comments below. Have a good gambling free life.
Thank you steev. A really helpful list for me. Especially points 3 and 6
This is so nice to see! I have start to beat my addiction, so im happy to read this and your advices!
Just joined and al be it my first days of not gambling I need to keep it that way. I have admitted to my partner and to myself that I am a online gambler. My partner is supporting me and I know I have to reward that support in keeping myself debt free and not a gambler. Your pointers are really informative and so similar to myself. I really hope I recover but I am at the beginning and I know it's a long hard road but I need this. I'm also going to buy the book you suggested. Thank you for your insight into gambling
Very insightful post Steev – I could relate to every point . Thank you for sharing xx
I was on the computer and I get obsessed, so new, it's a beginning. Everyday is a beginning, today is different, no apps, no games, and no spinning. I wish I had more to say, thanks.
- Posts
With all the changes in the new tax law, you may not know what expenses you're still allowed to deduct. Fortunately, we have you covered. Here is a list of tax deductions you may have thought got the axe but are still available for your 2018 tax return.
Medical Expenses
The medical expense tax deduction is still available and will increase to 10 percent of your adjusted gross income. Qualifying medical expenses include doctor bills, prescriptions, insurance premiums under certain circumstances, newborn expenses, related travel expenses and more. You can even deduct the cost of service animals including purchase, training, feeding, grooming and veterinary care.
Gambling Losses
Gambling losses can still be included as miscellaneous tax deductions, but the definition of gambling losses has been broadened to include other expenses related to gambling activities, such as travel to and from a casino or track. You can only deduct losses up to the amount of your winnings, so any excess loss can't offset other highly taxed income.
According to the IRS, taxpayers must compile the following in a log or other record:
- The date and type of each wager or wagering activity.
- The name and location of the gambling establishment.
- The names of any other person accompanying you to the gambling establishment.
- The amount you won or lost.
Alimony and Legal Fees
Writing Off Gambling Losses 2019
Alimony payments made under divorce or separation instruments that are executed after December 31, 2018 will no longer be deductible, and recipients of affected alimony payments will no longer have to include them in taxable income. But if your divorce was executed before the cut off, alimony is still deductible. Divorce-related legal fees may also be deductible by the party seeking alimony if the legal fees are incurred while disputing alimony rights.
Home Office Deduction
- This topic has 9 replies, 8 voices, and was last updated 7 months ago by .
One of the biggest obstacles to staying stopped, chasing losses is seen by some as a classic indicator of problem gambling. Indeed, some of the literature and websites aimed at marketing 'professional' gambling, state that the biggest difference between someone who gambles to make money and someone who is a 'hobby' gambler, is that the former gambles with a fixed stake and does NOT chase losses. My problem was that when gambling I usually had a fixed stake of time, not money. I went out expecting to enjoy it for several hours and problems arose when the money ran out before the time did. In that sense I know I was a 'hobby' gambler. I never expected to win and although it was a bonus, the pleasure of gambling did notdepend on my winning. Another thing I am aware of is that when I first started to gamble – I couldn't have told you what I would do with a big win – other than to continue gambling. I was doing well materially. I was a householder, (with a mortgage) at 20 and had a company car at 21. All that soon went and I was living in lodgings and on public transport by 25, but even then with a big win I don't think I would have thought further than to have enough to pay my debts off – which were accruing at a rate that only a compulsive gambler's can. When I first sought help for my problem in my early 30s, it was the size of my debts and the increase in the repayments that made me seek help. I knew that it was only a matter of time before I would be unable to function as a normal human being with a job, somewhere to live and food in my belly, unless I found a way of stopping the leeching of money to the machines and began to make amends. But then there was still this idea in me that the 'Big Win' would make it all okay. So, hard as it was, I had to give this dream up in order to stay stopped. I was not going to put right the damage caused by gambling by doing more gambling. In order to achieve this I realised these 10 things. 1) The odds are impossible. Let's face it – if I am playing regularly on a machine that has a maximum payout of say 200 – and my debts are 40,000 – how many times would I have to win? That's if a) I ever did walk away winning and b) I could ever wrench myself away from the thing. That was my logical mind working for a change! 2) The cost of gambling was the price I had to pay to realise that I was a compulsive gambler. I know this might be a hard one to swallow – but I have learnt a lot about myself because of my gambling. I would have had to pay out thousands to counsellors, therapists and other professionals for this wisdom. Perhaps not as much as I have lost over the years but it is a way of writing some of the losses down in my mind. I was stubborn. If I could have realised I had an addictive personality much earlier then I would have saved myself a lot of money and grief. 3) Other people, (non-gamblers) can lose thousands, why can't I? There are plenty of stories out there of people who have lost money through business's going bust, scams, fires, floods and other disasters. They have pulled themselves out of it – so what is to stop me? I know one thing is that I felt bad about it because it was self-inflicted, but that is no reason not to draw a line under things and start again. 4) Thoughts about chasing losses come from my emotions. It is my emotional mind that thinks about the losses – NOT my logical mind, (see above.) I know it's that petulant child that thinks – 'it's not fair – I deserve to win.' Maybe I do, but it is not going to happen for the logical reasons already stated. Wishing it was different is not going to make it happen. 5) If I did win, I would just keep the cycle going. If I didn't win the full amount I needed I would keep playing to win more. If I won more than I needed, I would think I could afford to gamble with the excess. Soon I would be back to square one or worse. 6) I need to learn that there is more to life than having money. Again – another hard one for me, but not having money has allowed me to discover I can have a good life without it. My favourite pastime, walking is free and I enjoy going to libraries etc. where they still exist. I have also learnt the value of money – how to make savings and of alternatives such as LETS. 7) If I win big, then other people lose. Yes other poor gamblers like me or you – and if I really want the gambling industry to stop making big profits, I need to stop feeding it. The dream of the big win is what keeps the betting shops, casinos and on-line gambling sites going. A dream is all it is. 8) Dreaming of the big win gets in the way of reality. It is not the big win which will get me out of debt. I need to really look at what the debt is and how much is needed to bring it down. Reading Robert Kelsey's book, 'What's Stopping You,' helped me see that my fear of failure stopped me from trying new ways to make money and thus go back to things that would never work, gambling. I needed to concentrate on the possible. 9) It will be small steps that will make a difference. A few extra hours at work here – finding small ways to boost my income. It may take time, but then I will save time by not gambling, not having to seek money to gamble with and not having to deal with the consequences of my gambling. 10) The Einstein rule. Albert Einstein said that the definition of insanity is 'doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.' Now, I know this is true for gambling as a whole – but far more so for chasing losses. If I have chased losses before and it hasn't worked, what on earth makes me think it will work the next time? Be like Einstein – don't chase losses! So there you have my 10 reasons for not chasing losses – there may be others that I have forgotten or you may know of others. If so I would appreciate your ideas in the comments below. Have a good gambling free life.
Thank you steev. A really helpful list for me. Especially points 3 and 6
This is so nice to see! I have start to beat my addiction, so im happy to read this and your advices!
Just joined and al be it my first days of not gambling I need to keep it that way. I have admitted to my partner and to myself that I am a online gambler. My partner is supporting me and I know I have to reward that support in keeping myself debt free and not a gambler. Your pointers are really informative and so similar to myself. I really hope I recover but I am at the beginning and I know it's a long hard road but I need this. I'm also going to buy the book you suggested. Thank you for your insight into gambling
Very insightful post Steev – I could relate to every point . Thank you for sharing xx
I was on the computer and I get obsessed, so new, it's a beginning. Everyday is a beginning, today is different, no apps, no games, and no spinning. I wish I had more to say, thanks.
- Posts
With all the changes in the new tax law, you may not know what expenses you're still allowed to deduct. Fortunately, we have you covered. Here is a list of tax deductions you may have thought got the axe but are still available for your 2018 tax return.
Medical Expenses
The medical expense tax deduction is still available and will increase to 10 percent of your adjusted gross income. Qualifying medical expenses include doctor bills, prescriptions, insurance premiums under certain circumstances, newborn expenses, related travel expenses and more. You can even deduct the cost of service animals including purchase, training, feeding, grooming and veterinary care.
Gambling Losses
Gambling losses can still be included as miscellaneous tax deductions, but the definition of gambling losses has been broadened to include other expenses related to gambling activities, such as travel to and from a casino or track. You can only deduct losses up to the amount of your winnings, so any excess loss can't offset other highly taxed income.
According to the IRS, taxpayers must compile the following in a log or other record:
- The date and type of each wager or wagering activity.
- The name and location of the gambling establishment.
- The names of any other person accompanying you to the gambling establishment.
- The amount you won or lost.
Alimony and Legal Fees
Writing Off Gambling Losses 2019
Alimony payments made under divorce or separation instruments that are executed after December 31, 2018 will no longer be deductible, and recipients of affected alimony payments will no longer have to include them in taxable income. But if your divorce was executed before the cut off, alimony is still deductible. Divorce-related legal fees may also be deductible by the party seeking alimony if the legal fees are incurred while disputing alimony rights.
Home Office Deduction
Brockton casino news. You may still be able to deduct some expenses for the business use of your home if there is a part of it that you use regularly and exclusively for work. To qualify, your home must also be your principal place of business, so even daycare providers and certain other businesses may take this deduction.
Health Savings Account Contributions
A Health Savings Account (HSA) is funded with pre-tax money, so it can still create tax deductions plus potential retirement savings. That money can be used tax-free for qualifying healthcare expenses, such as doctor visits, dental work, eyeglasses and more. HSA contribution limits will rise to $3,500 for individuals and $7,000 for families, and those 55 or older can contribute an additional $1,000. You'll still need to have a qualifying high-deductible health insurance plan to contribute to an HSA, and you generally must not have any other health coverage.
Writing Off Gambling Losses 2019 Memes
No matter how the new tax laws affect your tax situation, ezTaxReturn can help you maximize your deductions and receive the biggest tax refund possible. The whole process is quick and easy as we ask about life events and other relevant information to help you take advantage of every credit and deduction the law allows.