I love to answer reader questions, but I am getting some this month – as I do every year during tax season – that I cannot tackle. I would like to give you specific answers you may need as you start working on your tax return, but I just can’t – and for so many reasons. Tax issues are so complex, and specifics depend on the individual’s total financial situation – there is almost never a one-answer-fits-all question. And to make matters worse there are so many gray areas for the gambling taxpayer. So many answers would require long discussions about the exceptions, the varied opinions, the it-depends.
That is why Tax Help for Gamblers was born so many years ago. And because there have always been constant changes in the tax world, that early “baby book” has had to “grow up,” and along the way I have had to bring on expert tax professionals to help me “raise” it to adulthood. The latest edition, with up-to-date input from Russell Fox, who has personal gambling experience as well as long-time experience in tax preparation, will be the one place you can find the accurate details to help you with most of your gambling tax puzzles. Many do-it-yourself gambler filers consider it their bible. And many use the book to guide them in their record-keeping all year long and then give it to their tax preparer, especially if he/she has little or no experience in dealing with gambling issues.
A personal note on our tax situation: We were spoiled by having no state income taxes in NV. Extra paperwork this month to start having Georgia state tax withheld!
Now for some questions I can answer:
Q: Why don’t you use a map to get around Columbus if you are having trouble with your GPS?
A: Thanks for reading my last blog and offering some advice. Actually, I was a super navigator for some 35 years while I rode shotgun with Brad all over the country – and a map was always in my lap – or close by. But when he gave up his keys last year, I had to shine up my rusty driving skills – I had driven probably no more than a dozen times in the last 20 years. However, starting back to driving in Vegas wasn’t too hard for me – and I didn’t need a map. I knew every route and every shortcut, without ever trying to learn to use the GPS in our car or on my phone. But when we moved to Columbus, I realized that I needed my full attention on the unfamiliar streets, and so – checking to be sure she is programmed correctly – Ms. GPS will be my best friend for some time!
And speaking of driving: This is the first time in 65 years that Brad doesn’t have a driver’s license.
Q: What change in your life do you notice most since your move from Vegas?
A: There have been so many major changes, but I guess the one that comes up most often is that we have to pull out a credit card ALL THE TIME. We miss comps!
Kevin, I agree with you about learning your way around if you’re staying a while.
I spent my first month here this year in a residential area of Summerlin. Kind of tricky to get to. Luckily, I made myself learn how to get “home” without using GPS. One day I forgot my phone and was able to get “home” without it.
I drive here to Las Vegas from Pennsylvania every winter (yes, I’m a “snowbird.”). No way could I do it without Google maps. I even took a different route this year, through Mississippi, New Orleans, Texas, Sedona. Saw a lot of new places. It was wonderful.
As for Russell Fox: Russ doesn’t do my taxes because I live in PA. But if he’s half as good a tax preparer (which his reputation indicates that he is) as he is a poker player, you would be in very good hands with him (no pun intended).
I used to navigate the old-fashioned way–with a map. That was never a good idea when I was driving. I therefore use Google Maps and turn on the voice function. It ain’t perfect. It has this annoying feature of not telling you what you’re going to do at an intersection until you’re three seconds away. Its location database is always out of date (so you can get directed to nonexistent locations on occasion). But it’s been indispensable when I’m somewhere unfamiliar.
I wouldn’t use it if I’m trying to get familiar with a new town, though. Navigating by trial and error–and getting lost–helps you familiarize yourself with a new place. I am highly skilled at getting lost.
I’ve spent a lot of time the last few years cruising around the country and in and around a lot of strange towns. I use Google Maps on my Iphone for navigation. I bought a phone mount at a truck stop that I mounted on the windshield just to the left of the rear view mirror. This is where I sit the phone when I have it on Google Maps. I listen to the instructions and take an occasional glance up to the blue line on Google Maps to make sure I don’t overshoot any turns. So I actually still see the road while looking at it. It works like a champ and navigating like this is pretty easy.