blonde poker forum

Hi guys,

Any help would be greatly appreciated as I was near enough going mad over in Vegas the past week!

Basically I chopped a $200k tournament at Golden Nugget last week. I was told before my trip that I would be able to sort an ITIN at the casino and get the full payout rather than them holding 30%... Anyways, that wasn't the case. Golden Nugget were in fact extremely unhelpful and pretty rude.

Including a conversation with the card room manager which went a bit like this....

Me: Is it possible for you to lend me some advice on the best way to go about sorting the 30% tax out mate?

Manager: No. Your best off asking a poker player from England....


I went to the Inland Revenue Service whilst in Vegas too and they were just as unhelpful and actually said "We make it as hard as possible for foreigners to claim there tax back as we hope they forget it"... Yeah brilliant!!

Anyways, I am now back in the UK and Golden Nugget kept 30% and sent it on to there government. I was wondering if anyone can explain to me the best way of now applying for an ITIN and claiming back the 30% which they kept hold of? I have been given a TAX form from Nugget when I cashed out so I presume I have to send that off with an application form?

An idiot's step by step guide would be really appreciated!

I have pasted the text below, but there are links in the original post (its old so they might or might not work).  Lol that the culprit is the Nugget again.

http://forumserver.twoplustwo.com/showpost.php?p=31240764&postcount=9


Quote:
Originally Posted by _Alien_ View Post
In my case I cashed in a tournament at the golden nugget and they refused to get me an ITIN and therefore they withheld a 30% (about 2500$)

I live in a tax-treaty country, so I should be able to get this money back.

So after reading the sticky and this thread, I have to file form 1040NR Schedule OI - Line L and the total income in line 22.

I still have some questions:

- Where in the form do I detail the amount withheld? Or is it enough to attach the 1042-S form?
- Being from a tax-treaty country, do I have to deduct the tournament entry fees where I didn't cash to proof I didn't make profit? Or do I just have right to get it back?
- I don't have an ITIN number, do I have to get it before I file the 1040NR? Or will they assign me an ITIN when they receive the 1040NR? If I have to get it before, what's the deadline to submit the 1040NR? I may not be on time for this
- Will I receive a check for the full amount withheld? If so I'll have to find out if my local bank will cash it or if I have to wait to my next trip to the US to cash it
- I saw that the form is sent by mail, so if it gets lost I can't know or have a proof that I submitted it... Sounds weird, here when we file taxes we go to a bank and they stamp a copy of the file so you can keep it

Thanks in advance
1. On your 1040NR, you will need to (a) attach the 1042-S, (b) note the clause of the Tax Treaty that gives you the right for a refund. You can obtain a refund as long as you file the return within three years of the due date (April 15, 2015).

2. The IRS will send you a check in US Dollars.

3. Anything mailed to a tax agency should be sent certified mail, return receipt requested (or the equivalent). Foreign postal services usually have an equivalent (registered mail).

4. You will need to attach a Form W-7 to your return along with appropriate documentation. See the instructions to the form for the required documents. The IRS does have individual working outside of the US in Beijing, Frankfurt, London, and Paris, and as described in this article an ITIN can be obtained at one of those embassies/consulates. If you are going to be in the US, you can also obtain an ITIN at an IRS office.

If you do send your paperwork by mail to the IRS, be aware that the ITIN unit is one of the slowest (if not the slowest) groups at the IRS, and it routinely takes many weeks for an ITIN to be processed.

-- Russ Fox [/b]

The stress of cashing for more than $5000 at the nugget lives on!  I had the same issue in 2011 when i annoyingly cashed for something like $5081 so i hadn't even won $5k after the buy in which i tried to plead with no effect (i would have done a deal and took $4999 if i knew how hard the nugget staff play to try and keep the 30% tax for themselves).   I had a hold out with the manager for a few weeks and eventually bunged him $200 as a bribe effectively to 'turn a blind eye to it' and give me the cash.  'Big John' was the guys name.  Big fat fecker with slicked back hair.  Some of you will probably remember him.  Corrupt as hell and didn't seem to worry too much about the US tax laws as soon as you offered to bung him a few quid for his next steak dinner.  Think the said manager has since died according to someone who knows staff at the nugget.

Good luck getting it sorted now you are back in the UK.

Would strongly recommend anyone playing casually in vegas to not play nugget events unless they already have the NI paperwork sorted as the Nugget will do nothing at all to assist you not having to pay the tax unlike most other card rooms who will help you out as part of the porcess.

Thank you for that. Bit easier to understand now.


Can I send off my W7 form etc immediately or do I have to wait?

http://www.irs.gov/Individuals/General-ITIN-Information

http://krackedkings.com/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=86187
2 of the guys off here had the same problem 2? Years ago
Lots of chasing around ended up with a visit to the American embassy in London before receiving a chq in $$ for the refund it took till April for them to sort it out

Think Ima get an appointment locked in to the American Embassy in London and see if that can get the ball rolling...