DO I NEED TO FILE A GEORGIA TAX FORM IF I WON MONEY AT A HORSE SHOW AND LIVE IN FLORIDA?

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April 11, 2026
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WHY DO I NEED TO FILE A GEORGIA TAX FOR MONEY I WON IF I DON'T LIVE THERE.

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MindyB

Level 13

It depends on how much you won and your total annual income. While Georgia does tax money earned within its borders (assuming the horse show was physically located in Georgia), you only have to file a return if you meet specific financial thresholds.

For the 2025 tax year, you are generally required to file a Georgia Form 500 as a non-resident if your Georgia-sourced income (the prize money) exceeds $5,000, or if that prize money makes up more than 5% of your total annual wages. If your winnings were below these amounts, you typically do not need to file or pay Georgia taxes.

However, if there was any Georgia state taxes withheld from your winnings, you should file a return regardless of the amount. Filing a Georgia tax return is the only way to get that withheld money back if your total Georgia income was below the filing limit.

Ultimately, Georgia has the right to tax this money because it was earned in their state, even though you do not live there. If you lived in a state with an income tax, you'd be able to take a credit on your home state return, but since Florida does not have an income tax, there is no credit available.