Taxpayer asks:
I have a difficult situation. I won a lot of money in my church’s 50/50. I know I have to report it as income but when I asked for written information from my church, they asked me not to report it. They say they aren’t legally allowed to run a 50/50 and if I report it, I’ll get them in trouble and they could have to close. I don’t want to get anyone in trouble but I don’t want to cheat on my taxes. What do I do?
Taxgirl says:
You’re absolutely right that you need to report the income. So good on you.
As to the church, this kind of thing happens all of the time. Many organizations are barred by state law from conducting “games of chance” and other random lottery-type fundraisers. And the 50/50 is just that: everyone pays into a pot and a random winner takes 50% and the church or other organization takes the remainder. It’s a win-win for the church or other organization because it requires no upfront cash, no real efforts beyond promotion. There’s just that little detail of whether it’s allowable…
The good news in your case is that you don’t have to have a form from the church in order to report the income. Just report it on Line 21 as other income. The IRS asks you to describe the type and amount – it doesn’t actually require you to name the source.
All of that said, it’s not beyond the realm of possibility that you could be asked, at audit, to provide the source of the funds. In that event, do it. The church is clearly aware that what they’re doing is wrong and they’ve made the decision to do it anyway. That’s not on you, it’s on them: any of the fall out resulting from the 50/50 is the result of their calculated risk. And so long as it’s working for them, they’ve decided to keep doing it. Again, not your problem.
So go, enjoy your winnings. Don’t waste another moment worrying about it.
Before you go: be sure to read my disclaimer. Remember, I’m a lawyer and we love disclaimers.
If you have a question, here’s how to Ask The Taxgirl.
