Author Topic: Game Shows and Taxes (Read 1641 times)

Dbacksfan12 · « **on:** January 28, 2011, 01:00:41 AM »

Hello all...
Had a quick question regarding game show winnings and taxes. I made several appearances on GSN Radio before it was cancelled. On several occasions I won $100. Other times, it was more or less. It was not taxed. At years' end, I received a tax form (I think it was a 1099) stating that I had won a total of, I think, $2,365.

So, if anyone knows, was it correct of them to lump everything together into one sum? Or should each 'appearance' have been treated separately?

clemon79 · « **Reply #1 on:** January 28, 2011, 01:05:34 AM »

[quote name=\'Modor\' post=\'255735\' date=\'Jan 27 2011, 10:00 PM\']So, if anyone knows, was it correct of them to lump everything together into one sum?[/quote]
Yes.

BrandonFG · « **Reply #2 on:** January 28, 2011, 01:06:32 AM »

[quote name=\'Modor\' post=\'255735\' date=\'Jan 28 2011, 01:00 AM\']Hello all...
Had a quick question regarding game show winnings and taxes. I made several appearances on GSN Radio before it was cancelled. On several occasions I won $100. Other times, it was more or less. It was not taxed. At years' end, I received a tax form (I think it was a 1099) stating that I had won a total of, I think, $2,365.

So, if anyone knows, was it correct of them to lump everything together into one sum? Or should each 'appearance' have been treated separately?[/quote]
Seems like since it's from the same entity, it should be indeed lumped into one sum. Had you won say, half from GSN and half from TPiR, then yeah, it would be separate.

clemon79 · « **Reply #3 on:** January 28, 2011, 01:10:38 AM »

Also, it's not that it wasn't taxed, it's just that nothing was withheld from it. By the strict letter of the tax law you're supposed to report it, no matter what the amount, and pay up accordingly. It's just that they're not required to file 1099's for people who win less than $500 (or whatever the threshold is), and so if they don't file it, you can get away with not telling the IRS about it because there's no paper trail to implicate you.

peiboy91 · « **Reply #4 on:** January 28, 2011, 02:05:10 AM »

[quote name=\'clemon79\' post=\'255738\' date=\'Jan 27 2011, 10:10 PM\']It's just that they're not required to file 1099's for people who win less than $500 (or whatever the threshold is), and so if they don't file it, you can get away with not telling the IRS about it because there's no paper trail to implicate you.[/quote]
The threshold is $600, thus I didn't get one from Trivial Pursuit: America Plays when I won $563.00.

Kevin Prather · « **Reply #5 on:** January 28, 2011, 02:06:10 AM »

[quote name=\'peiboy91\' post=\'255740\' date=\'Jan 27 2011, 11:05 PM\'][quote name=\'clemon79\' post=\'255738\' date=\'Jan 27 2011, 10:10 PM\']It's just that they're not required to file 1099's for people who win less than $500 (or whatever the threshold is), and so if they don't file it, you can get away with not telling the IRS about it because there's no paper trail to implicate you.[/quote]
The threshold is $600, thus I didn't get one from Trivial Pursuit: America Plays when I won $563.00.
[/quote]
And you'll often see scratch tickets that offer a top prize of $599.

MikeK · « **Reply #6 on:** January 28, 2011, 05:31:46 PM »

I was never given tax paperwork on the eMachine I won in 2000 and surely that was worth more than $599 at the time. I also never got a single tax form from when I was on Hardball in 2002, even though I "won" around $4000 worth of prizes, including a trip to Washington DC. Perhaps since Hardball is a talk/news show, the powers that be considered the trip and accomodations as part of the cost of getting a guest to MSNBC's DC studios? It doesn't explain why I didn't get taxed on the $200 in traveler's checks, the digital camera, and the other goodies worth over $599 total which I got at the taping in DC...

Joe Mello · « **Reply #7 on:** January 28, 2011, 05:45:58 PM »

Hm. Say you win $550, but you also win consolation prizes. Is the 1099 required?

TLEberle · « **Reply #8 on:** January 28, 2011, 06:12:21 PM »

[quote name=\'Joe Mello\' post=\'255798\' date=\'Jan 28 2011, 02:45 PM\']Hm. Say you win $550, but you also win consolation prizes. Is the 1099 required?[/quote]Depends on how much the consolation prizes are. And yes, a production company is going to keep track of the value of a case of Clorets or a voucher for a Butterball turkey.