In short, the answer is yes, you do have to pay taxes on online poker winnings. The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) considers online poker winnings as income, and you are therefore required to pay taxes on them.
There are a few exceptions to this rule, however. First, if you are a professional poker player and participate in online poker tournaments as part of your job, you may be able to exclude your online poker winnings from your income.
Second, if you are a tax-exempt organization, such as a charity or educational institution, you may be able to exclude your online poker winnings from your income as well.
The bottom line is that if you have won money playing online poker, you will need to declare it on your taxes. However, there are some ways to reduce the amount of tax that you owe.
If you are eligible for one of the exceptions listed above, it may be worth filing for it. Otherwise, consult with an accountant or tax specialist to learn more about your specific situation and how best to handle your online poker earnings.
