Online Gambling Tax Canada
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Everyone dreams of winning the lottery or hitting the jackpot at the casino. But you may wonder how much tax you’ll pay on all that money. The good news is that in Canada, your winnings are usually tax-free!
No - Canadians do not have to pay taxes on gambling winnings from horse racing, sports betting, lotteries, online casinos and any other games of chance. However, if you earn interest on your winnings, you must legally declare that on a T5 form. This interest is taxable. Should you be caught not paying taxes on this, you could be fined. The no-tax gambling law in Canada applies to both land-based and online gambling and the lottery. VLTs are responsible for nearly a quarter of all gambling industry income in Canada? Even without VLTs in Ontario or British Columbia, they’re behind billions in local governments’ annual revenue. A new casino is opening in Ontario in 2021. Winnings from a Canadian lottery such as Lotto Max or 649 are considered to be windfalls, and windfalls are not subject to tax. Even winnings from a sweepstake or lottery sponsored by a charitable organization are generally tax-free.
Lotteries
Winnings from a Canadian lottery such as Lotto Max or 649 are considered to be windfalls, and windfalls are not subject to tax.
Even winnings from a sweepstake or lottery sponsored by a charitable organization are generally tax-free. Everything from your local hockey team’s 50/50 draw to the Big Brothers/Big Sisters travel lotto vouchers are included in the windfall category and therefore not subject to tax.
However, though the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) does not tax the winnings themselves, you may need to pay taxes on any income that money generates if you invest in a non-registered investment or account.
For example:
- If you put your lottery prize in the bank, any interest earned on that account will be taxable.
- If you invest some of your winnings in stocks or mutual funds, any dividends earned on the investments will be taxable. As will any Capital Gains you may make when you dispose of or sell the investments.
For this reason, if you do plan on investing your winnings, you may want to consider investing in your Tax Free Savings Account (TFSA) or Registered Retirement Savings Plan (RRSP) if you have the available contribution room. This TurboTax article explains further Paying Taxes on Investments.
Casinos
If you score big from a Canadian casino, your winnings will be treated the same as other lotteries and usually remain tax-free.
However, over the past few years, the CRA has begun looking for professional gamblers, classifying their “winnings” as business income and therefore taxable like any other business income. At the same time, this also means professional gamblers can claim business expenses. In theory, pro gamblers should also be able to claim losses as a business loss, but the CRA usually doesn’t allow it.
Workplace Contests
Prizes won from your place of employment aren’t always tax-free.
Cash awards or near-cash awards such as gift cards, are almost always considered to be taxable employment benefits. This means the award will be considered as part of your income and should be reported on your T4- Statement of Remuneration Paid in Box 40. Your employer will deduct income tax, Canada Pension Plan (CCP) and in some cases, Employment Insurance (EI) premiums on this type of award or prize.
What Happens in Vegas Stays in Vegas…
The rules discussed above only apply to winnings from Canadian sources. If you like to gamble or play lotteries that are based in the US, their government has different rules that would apply even if you are not a US citizen.
The US Internal Revenue Service (IRS) considers all winnings to be taxable. If you win a US lottery, you would have to file a US tax return and pay taxes on the prize. If you hit the jackpot at a casino, a good chunk of those winnings will be withheld by the casino to ensure your tax obligations are met before you even leave the country.
Even if you are gambling online from your own home, if you play on a US online poker site, any winnings or prize money will be considered to be American income and taxed accordingly.
Online Gambling Tax Canada Calculator
With more than 20 years’ experience helping Canadians file their taxes confidently and get all the money they deserve, TurboTax products, including TurboTax Free, are available at www.turbotax.ca.
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Claiming Gaming & Casino Tax Refunds for Over 20 Years
We’ve been claiming gaming and casino tax refunds since 1996. We are Canada’s longest standing withholding tax refund agency. Owned and operated by a Canadian Chartered Accountant, we are also Canada’s top choice for gaming and casino tax refunds.
We offer One Simple Step™ which means we are the easiest gaming and casino tax refund service around. You are only required to sign where indicated, and we file the multitudes of forms required on your behalf.
In order to make the refund process as easy as possible, we have formed relationships with most of the major gambling establishments. These relationships allow us to quickly retrieve your forms in the event that the forms you were issued were lost or damaged.
We Take Care of the Tax Recovery Process with the IRS
We have never been denied a rightful claim by the IRS. Despite this fact, we get customers every year who tried to claim their gaming or casino tax refund another way, often on their own. This decision led to mistakes in their application that caused the IRS to deny their claim.
Once a gaming or casino tax refund claim has been denied, the appeal process is even more complex than the claim. We leverage our special relationship with the IRS to navigate this process and reclaim as much as we can through an appeal.
One-Stop Gaming & Casino Tax Refund Agency
Online Gambling Tax Canada 2020
We are not only a gaming & casino tax refund agency, we are also an agent of the IRS. This means we are a one-stop refund agency, allowing you to take care of all the steps required for a gaming or casino tax refund in one place.
Gaming & Casino Tax Refund Eligibility
- You are a non-US resident.
- You have won taxable gaming income from specified gaming activity within the last three years.
- You have been issued an IRS Form 1042-S by the casino (if you have lost or misplaced these forms, we have developed relationships with casinos all across the US and can request them on your behalf).
- You have either a certified a) passport, OR a certified b) driver’s licence AND c) birth certificate
- You have qualified gaming losses (in accordance with the 1996 Canadian/US Tax Treaty).
After Winning How Much Time Do I Have To Get A Refund
The IRS has implemented a three-year filing rule. This rule allows one to go back three years to obtain a refund. Taxes on winnings prior to this period are statute-barred from any recovery. Most of our clients make their claim within days of returning back home. If you have won in the current year, refunds will be claimed at the beginning of the following taxation year.
What You Need to Know About The Tax On American Prize Winnings
Part of having a great time on any American vacation is the excitement of wagering, but before you spend all the money you win in the U.S., remember there’s a tax on prize winnings that goes as high as 30%.
If that number sounds high enough to put you off slot machines and even game shows when you’re down south, remember there are ways to get refunds through reputable Canadian firms that specialize in offsetting the tax on prize winnings you’d otherwise need to pay.
Once you understand that you can get some of that money back, of course you’ll want to know how fast that will happen. You should only deal with companies that are upfront on their websites about the turnaround time that’s often 12 to 15 weeks. Expect to get all the necessary information online like the fact that you can cut down the refund process time with a proper ITIN# and what your responsibilities are in the way of documentation.
Finally, you’ll need to find all the necessary eligibility information so you can proceed to get those refunds on the tax on prize winnings. First and foremost, you need to be a non U.S. resident.
Online Gambling Tax Canada 2019
Beat That Game Show Winning’s Tax Rate With RMS
Lots of Canadians and other international players are lured to the United States by the promise of big winnings on the game shows there. Still, contestants don’t always realize that when they win, so does the American tax man through the game show winnings tax rate that’s usually around 30%.
However, there’s no need to fret since a tax recovery company can help you get some of your money back from the Canadian side of the border. Of course you need to be sure the company that you’re considering is professional and knows all about getting you a game show winnings tax rate refund. Making sure they have the necessary experience is often about looking for testimonials on their website and a short and simple application form that helps you to get started.
Reputation and experience go hand in hand with these companies and if the company is founded and owned by someone that knows their stuff like a Chartered Accountant, all the better to get you the refund you deserve.
Federal Gambling Tax Laws
You need to do your part to get a refund and offset the game show winnings tax rate and a good company will let you know all of the eligibility requirements necessary so the process runs smoothly.
Federal Gambling Tax Rate
Apply now for free to have Canada’s #1 gaming & casino tax refund agency handle your refund.