Updated October 19, 2026. Quick answer: A Form W-2G for a poker tournament reports winnings net of the wager or buy-in, tournament by tournament. Regular gambling withholding does not apply, so box 4 is zero unless you did not give the payer a taxpayer identification number. Box 3 says poker tournament and box 5 names the tournament and its sponsor.
When a poker tournament win is reported
The payer’s instructions say: “File Form W-2G for each person to whom you pay gambling winnings meeting or exceeding the applicable reporting threshold, reduced by the amount of the wager or buy-in, from each poker tournament you have sponsored.”
Each tournament stands on its own: “Winnings and losses of the participant from other poker tournaments you have sponsored during the year aren’t taken into account when determining the applicable reporting threshold.”
The reporting threshold is not a fixed number across years. The instructions say: “For calendar years after 2025, the minimum threshold amount for reporting certain payments and backup withholding on certain information returns, including the Form W-2G, will be adjusted yearly for inflation.” “The minimum threshold amount for payments made in calendar year 2026 is $2,000.”
For the other boxes on the form, see the Form W-2G boxes guide.
What each box shows for a poker tournament
Box 4 and box 5 are the two that differ most from other games, so read them against the table below.
| Box | What the payer’s instructions say |
|---|---|
| Box 1, reportable winnings | “Enter payments that meet or exceed the applicable reporting threshold in net gambling winnings from a poker tournament.” |
| Box 2, date won | “Enter the date of the poker tournament.” |
| Box 3, type of wager | The instructions tell the payer to enter poker tournament “in the entry space.” |
| Box 4, federal income tax withheld | “Enter zero as the amount, unless the winning person hasn’t provided a TIN.” “If the winning person hasn’t provided a TIN, enter the backup withholding amount.” |
| Box 5, transaction | “Enter the name of the tournament and its sponsor.” |
| Boxes 6 to 8 and box 10 | “Not applicable.” |
| Box 9, winner’s TIN | “This is required information.” “Enter the TIN of the person receiving the winnings.” |
| Boxes 11 and 12, identification | “Acceptable forms of identification include a driver’s license, social security card, or voter registration.” |
| Boxes 13 to 18, state and local | “These boxes are provided for your convenience only and need not be completed for the IRS.” |
Withholding and backup withholding
The payer’s instructions say that when the form is filed and a copy given to the winner, “regular gambling withholding doesn’t apply to the winnings.” The exception is a missing number: “However, if the person who wins more than the applicable reporting threshold doesn’t provide a TIN, you must apply backup withholding to the full amount of the winnings from the tournament at the backup withholding rate of 24%.”
Below the threshold, nothing is withheld or reported: “Net winnings that don’t meet or exceed the applicable reporting threshold aren’t subject to reporting, withholding, or backup withholding.”
A taxpayer identification number is normally supplied on a Form W-9. The general withholding instructions list the games it covers: “winnings from bingo, keno, slot machines, and poker tournaments”. Box 4 is covered more fully in Form W-2G box 4 and boxes 13 to 18.
Net of the buy-in
The word net matters for box 1. The instructions describe box 1 as payments “in net gambling winnings from a poker tournament”, and the threshold test uses winnings “reduced by the amount of the wager or buy-in”. The same idea is covered for other games in Form W-2G boxes 1 and 7.
Shared winnings
If a prize is split, the winner’s copy says: “Prepare Form 5754 if another person is entitled to any part of these winnings.” “Give Form 5754 to the payer, who will use Form 5754 to prepare Form W-2G for each person listed as a winner.”
Where it goes on the return
The winner’s copy of the form tells you where each part goes. For box 1: “Generally, report all gambling winnings under the” Other income line of Schedule 1 (Form 1040), and the Schedule 1 lines 8a and 8b page covers that part of the return. For box 4: “Include the amount shown in box 4 on your Form 1040 or 1040-SR as federal income tax withheld.” That is the line described on the Form 1040 line 25 page.
The winner’s copy also says: “Keep an accurate record of your winnings and losses, and be able to prove those amounts with receipts, tickets, statements, or similar items that you have saved.”
Edition and box numbers
This page reads Form W-2G (Rev. January 2026) and the Instructions for Forms W-2G and 5754 (Rev. January 2026), the current files irs.gov served on 2026-10-19. The instructions state: “Form W-2G and its instructions have been converted from an annual revision to continuous use.” “Both the form and instructions will be updated as needed.” No earlier edition is compared here. Check the year and edition printed on the form you received, because box numbers can change between editions.
Common mistakes
- Assuming box 4 must show tax withheld. The instructions say “Enter zero as the amount, unless the winning person hasn’t provided a TIN.”
- Adding up several tournaments. The instructions say “Winnings and losses of the participant from other poker tournaments you have sponsored during the year aren’t taken into account when determining the applicable reporting threshold.”
- Reading box 1 as the gross prize. The instructions describe “net gambling winnings from a poker tournament”.
Related: Schedule 1 lines 8a and 8b, Schedule 1 (Form 1040), Form 1040 line 25, and Form W-9.
Sources
- Form W-2G, Certain Gambling Winnings (Rev. January 2026), with Instructions to Winner: https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/fw2g.pdf
- Instructions for Forms W-2G and 5754 (Rev. January 2026): https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/iw2g.pdf
- IRS: About Form W-2G: https://www.irs.gov/forms-pubs/about-form-w-2g
Read from the IRS documents linked above on October 19, 2026. General information, not tax advice. Your own facts decide the outcome, and a preparer, the account provider or the IRS is the right place to confirm anything consequential.