Why aren't W-2Gs Standardized?

How come W-2G gambling tax forms aren't the same? This year I have some from three different states and they're all different, even a few from the same state but different casinos are different. How come the federal government doesn’t mandate that they all be the same?

We can't comment on federal-government mandates. Perhaps the feds are too busy focusing on -- well, never mind.

But we can say that many casinos produce their own W-2Gs, even if they're in the same state or under the same corporate umbrella as other casinos with different W-2Gs. That's the way it's always been -- just like W-2s from non-gaming companies.

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Sandra Ritter Mar-17-2019

W-2G's etc

I'm a CPA, working 15+ hour days right now, 7 days a week, mostly preparing tax returns, I'd like to add to this answer.  There are also many different looking W-2s, 1099-Rs (retirement income) and 1099's (MISC, INT, DIV, B etc). It doesn't matter what they look like. What matters is that the information provided is in the correct numbered box. In the case of the W-2G, as long as the Winnings are in Box 1, Date won in Box 2, Type of Wager Box 3,Federal Income Tax withheld Box 4, etc, it can look however the developer designs it. My payroll tax software makes a 4-up (2 on top, 2 on the bottom) W-2 for my business clients. My tax clients have many other type of W-2s. No big deal, just so the numbers are in the right boxes.

O2bnVegas Mar-17-2019

thanks to Sandra

Good info, Sandra.  Always good to hear (on anything) from somebody in the business instead of "my hairdresser's husband's boss' brother-in-law."  LOL.

Sandra Ritter Mar-18-2019

Candy Wright

Thank you Candy.  I did want to add that IRS must approve all the different formats of the forms, but then a user can use whichever approved format that they want to use.

Question of the Day - 17 March 2019

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