[MicroBob]

You are REQUIRED to report your income.
You also have a right against self-incrimination.

Thus, the state or feds could not use your tax-info against you in this way to try to 'get you' for playing poker online...otherwise being forced to file taxes would completely contradict one's right against self-incrimination.


This is my understanding anyway.
I believe I read this in Gambler's Guide to Taxes by Walter Lewis as well as on here. Not sure though.



About the $1500 thing - slot-machine and other casino wins of $1500 (or is it $1199...whatever) require a W-2 form or something.
But party-poker isn't in the US. They don't have to file anything.
You can win $100k from them and they still won't file anything to the US.
You are required to report it however.


Similar situation - On the PartyPoker tourney/cruise I made the money and won $5215.
I was just givenmost of this money in cash ($3k right into my hand...the rest into my party account).
since it was a partypoker cruise that took place on international-waters (in other words, not in the U.S.) they didn't take any taxes out.

However....I believe that if I make the money in the WSOP main-event I will have some sort of tax-form to fill out and they might remove the taxes from the winnings right there and then.
There's a difference between winning money in a tourney IN the U.S. and operated by a U.S. company as opposed to winning money OUTSIDE the U.S. in a tourney operated by a non-U.S. company.