U.S. tax on jackpots won by foreign nationals

John,

Love your articles.

Just started last year playing slots at Seneca Niagara Falls Casino across the border from me. Enjoy their slots, paybacks, players rewards, etc. in comparison to our two Canadian casinos in Niagara Falls. But am mystified on how to get back the IRS payments that I have had to make on jackpots in the USA.

Any help in this matter would be appreciated. Asked the slot supervisor at Seneca and they basically told me that they could not help me or advise me on this matter as they had run into trouble with the advice they were giving out.

I would appreciate it if you might give me some help on this issue.

Thank you in advance and continue with your great articles.

Thom

Dear Thom,

Thanks for the kind words about my articles.

I know two things about taxes withheld on jackpots won by foreign nationals. One, you'll have to file a tax return (Form 1040NR -- NR = non-resident -- or maybe Form 1040NR-EZ) with the IRS in order to get anything back. And two, even though instructions are on the IRS website, you'll need professional help filling out the return to ensure it's filled out correctly. I suggest Googling for CPAs or tax accountants near you or over the border and calling them to get an idea of how much it will cost.

Best of luck in and out of the casinos,
John

Send your slot and video poker questions to John Robison, Slot Expert, at slotexpert@comcast.net. Because of the volume of mail I receive, I regret that I can't reply to every question.