CA Lottery information needed

[David W Ristau CPA]

California Lottery FEIN   Client received notice from CA FTB that he won lottery prize and didn't report it on 2014 CA tax return. Naturally client doesn't have the W2-G from 2014.  Does anyone here happen to know the FEIN and legal name for reporting CA lottery winnings?  If so, please post so I can enter and efile.  I have been sitting on hold for 35 minutes with CA Lottery Commission waiting for customer service... Thanks!

[Jack from Ohio]

You will need information from the W2-G in order to e-file.  No shortcuts will work.  Also, I don't think CA allows any gambling loss deductions from the winnings. 

[Lynn EA USTCP in Louisiana]

The IRS Wage and Income Transcript includes the payor's FEIN

 

[Jack from Ohio]

13 minutes ago, Lynn EA USTCP in Louisiana said:

The IRS Wage and Income Transcript includes the payor's FEIN

 

But it will not include any CA information.

[Lynn EA USTCP in Louisiana]

Jack, in my experience, W2G's are reported to the IRS as income, provide the payors FEIN , and are included on the IRS wage and income transcript. 

 

[David W Ristau CPA]

Thank you all for your answers.  

Jack from Ohio, all I needed was the CA Lottery FEIN. I already had the Lottery's address, my client's address and the winning amount. CA FTB already knew the lottery winnings, so matching wasn't an issue. Client had already filed Federal and Hawaii 2014 returns and wasn't amending the Fed or HI returns. Lottery winnings didn't trip any Federal tax owed and winnings were from time period as CA resident. Best part of winning CA lottery is it's exempt from CA income tax if you're a resident, which my client was at the time.

Lynn from Louisiana, I agree the IRS transcript would show the CA Lottery FEIN, however, I'm visiting family in IL and client is in HI so the back and forth for POA filing was an added step and time delay not worth the hassle on a pro-bono return preparation and filing.

My solution:

Since FTB already knew the winnings, my solution was to trick the ATX program using FTB FEIN on the W-2G input screen, run the efile modules for Fed and CA, ignore the Fed efile and send off the CA return electronically. 15 minutes later CA acknowledgement came back accepted. I figure worse case scenario after all the dollars are matched up FTB will drop this filing into their closed file since matching questions in original notice have been answered in full.

Client owed and paid zero CA income tax.

Seems odd to me that the CA Lottery website didn't have their FEIN available.