Gambling winnings help

[TaxLadyinPA]

husband and wife (PA residents) go to NY and have fun at the gambling casinos. Wife wins 8000 total on several w2-G's from NY lottery. She also has 1000 winnings from PA (Mohegan Sun) playing Slots.

My question is ....

She has papers showing her estimated losses in NY totaling -4000 and her husband also has a paper showing -7000 in losses.

at the federal level ... I can't remember ... can I take a total of -9000 on Sch A for gambling losses ??? or can I only take HER losses of -4000 and not take the husbands into consideration???

I know they have to file a NY non-resident because they won over $ 5000 but when I got to the PA return and realized the fact that PA makes us split between taxpayer and spouse and they can only take the wife's losses against her wins then I started to question what the federal allowed

Thanks for you quick answers ... my brain is so fried .... I'm wondering how I'm going to make it til the end *sigh*

[Gary]

Filing Status

If they file MFJ, then they can take the full 9000 loss on schedule A.

[TaxLadyinPA]

Thank You

Phew .. Thank you ....

Isn't that terrible where your brain just feels so fried that you start questioning yourself on the simplest things

[AZ-Tax]

TaxLady, I encourage your clients to..

obtain one of those players cards or something equal where they swipe the card at the machine. The players card prints out a annual statement. Its a nightmare to enter in those gambling tax forms.

Yes, loss can be deducted to the extent of winnings. Any extra is waste.