Wisconsin Residents – There’s an Easier Way to Apply for the Lottery and Gaming Credit

The Wisconsin Department of Revenue (DOR) is unveiling a new process for Wisconsin residents to apply for the lottery and gaming credit. Online forms are replacing lottery and gaming credit PDF forms. Property owners can file for the lottery and gaming credit completely online through the Lottery Credit Online Application Portal – without the added step of printing, mailing or emailing. The system guides property owners to the correct form through a selection page with help bubbles to provide guidance along the way.

DOR reminds Wisconsin residents to check their 2023 property tax bill for the lottery and gaming credit. If a property owner was eligible for the credit as of January 1, 2023, but their property tax bill received in December 2023 did not show the credit, they can still file a late claim online application with DOR by
October 1, 2024 to receive the credit. Property owners should have their property tax bill available while filling out the online form.

If a property owner becomes eligible for the credit as of January 1, 2024, they should use the online portal to apply for the lottery and gaming credit. Property owners can also request to remove a lottery and gaming credit through the portal. DOR will send the information to the county treasurer where the property is located or to the city treasurer, if the property is located in a city that collects taxes under state law. A property owner only needs to apply for the credit one time; once applied, the credit will continue annually for that residence.

To qualify for the lottery and gaming credit, you must be a Wisconsin resident, own a dwelling and use it as your primary residence as of the January 1 certification date of the year the property taxes are imposed. If an owner is temporarily absent, typically for a period no longer than six months (ex: hospital, vacation, incarcerated), the primary residence is the home where the owner returns. Principal dwelling means any dwelling the owner of the dwelling uses as their primary residence. A property owner may claim only one primary residence. The lottery and gaming credit cannot be claimed on business property, rental units, vacant land, garages, or other property that is not the owner’s primary residence.

Lottery proceeds are paid into a separate segregated state fund. The lottery credit provides direct property tax relief to qualifying taxpayers on their property tax bills and is displayed on tax bills as a reduction of property taxes due.

Lottery and gaming credit information, including the online application portal, walkthrough videos and common questions are located on the Lottery and Gaming Credit Forms page on DOR’s website.

NOTE: This press release was submitted to Urban Milwaukee and was not written by an Urban Milwaukee writer. It has not been verified for its accuracy or completeness.