forum thread Posted by FreebiesRGreat • Jun 3, 2008
Jun 3, 2008 2:50 AM
forum thread Posted by FreebiesRGreat • Jun 3, 2008
Jun 3, 2008 2:50 AM
Contests & Sweepstakes Tips, Advice, and Questions
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The intent of this thread is for users, both new and not-so-new, to ask questions, and help with tips/advice. This is not by any means the "gospel". Please feel free to add your words of wisdom, and if you have questions, just ask! If you have a tip that will make sweeping easier for folks, please feel free to share. This is a community effort. We all will benefit in some way.
The Basic Advice/Tips for the new-to-sweeping folks.
Enter for the items you want/need. If you have no interest in trips, avoid the sweeps where the only prize is a trip. If you know you can't afford the tax on a new vehicle, avoid entering for those.
Set up folders in your bookmark/favorites. Create a separate one for each month, and file any sweeps you are interested in into the folder corresponding with when it ends. Then, if you have a day where you're pressed for time, enter at least the ones ending that day.
Play the instant win games.
Follow the rules! If a sweep is restricted to only females, a certain age group, certain states, etc, make sure you fit the criteria! If you don't, move on to another sweep that you do qualify for. Do not create a bunch of email addresses so you can enter something more than once, or so you can play an Instant win game more. The Sponsors can tell, and will DQ you. You're better off playing by the rules than cheating and getting disqualified and having NO entries.
Don't immediately dismiss essay required sweeps (or recipes, photos, etc)....well, unless you know you don't want to write something. A lot of people pass on them, so you might have a better shot at winning something.
Don't expect this to be lucrative enough to become a job. Yes, a lot of us win, and often, but not nearly enough to quit a job!
Expect things to go slow at first. It takes a while for the wins to roll in. But once they do...look out!
Expect to occasionally hit a dry spell. It happens to ALL of us.
DEFINITELY USE YOUR REAL INFO! If you use a fake phone number, and a sponsor is calling to notify people of wins, you'll never know what you missed out on. I, and many others, have been doing this for a long time, and we have no problems with sales calls. Also, use your real name. If your name is Robert or Catherine, using Bob or Cathy is ok, as they are known acceptable shorter versions of that name. if your name is Matilda, and you go by Fluffy, don't use Fluffy. Looking at your ID to get an affy notarized, they may reject it because the names don't match. The sponsor may also say "Fluffy won, not Matilda". So stick with using your real name, or something close to it.
Most of all, HAVE FUN! And don't be afraid to ask questions. We were all new to this at one time. Any one of us would be happy to answer questions.
For easy form filling, check out Roboform [roboform.com]. Google Tool bar and the autofill feature on IE also work well.
For Mac users, the best form filler is 1Password: http://agilewebsolutio
FireFox Form Filler browser extensions: https://addons.mozilla.
To set up the autofill feature in IE: Click on Tools, then internet options, then choose 'content'. When that pops up, click on "Autocomplete", and make sure to check the boxes for forms and passwords on forms. This is not a good idea if you are on a shared/public computer!
February 17, 2009, 3:10 am: System Notice: This thread has been automatically renewed after reaching a post limit. Most of its content has been moved to this thread for reference purposes.
July 12, 2010, 3:23 pm: System Notice: This thread has been automatically renewed after reaching a post limit. Most of its content has been moved to this thread for reference purposes.
The Basic Advice/Tips for the new-to-sweeping folks.
Enter for the items you want/need. If you have no interest in trips, avoid the sweeps where the only prize is a trip. If you know you can't afford the tax on a new vehicle, avoid entering for those.
Set up folders in your bookmark/favorites. Create a separate one for each month, and file any sweeps you are interested in into the folder corresponding with when it ends. Then, if you have a day where you're pressed for time, enter at least the ones ending that day.
Play the instant win games.
Follow the rules! If a sweep is restricted to only females, a certain age group, certain states, etc, make sure you fit the criteria! If you don't, move on to another sweep that you do qualify for. Do not create a bunch of email addresses so you can enter something more than once, or so you can play an Instant win game more. The Sponsors can tell, and will DQ you. You're better off playing by the rules than cheating and getting disqualified and having NO entries.
Don't immediately dismiss essay required sweeps (or recipes, photos, etc)....well, unless you know you don't want to write something. A lot of people pass on them, so you might have a better shot at winning something.
Don't expect this to be lucrative enough to become a job. Yes, a lot of us win, and often, but not nearly enough to quit a job!
Expect things to go slow at first. It takes a while for the wins to roll in. But once they do...look out!
Expect to occasionally hit a dry spell. It happens to ALL of us.
DEFINITELY USE YOUR REAL INFO! If you use a fake phone number, and a sponsor is calling to notify people of wins, you'll never know what you missed out on. I, and many others, have been doing this for a long time, and we have no problems with sales calls. Also, use your real name. If your name is Robert or Catherine, using Bob or Cathy is ok, as they are known acceptable shorter versions of that name. if your name is Matilda, and you go by Fluffy, don't use Fluffy. Looking at your ID to get an affy notarized, they may reject it because the names don't match. The sponsor may also say "Fluffy won, not Matilda". So stick with using your real name, or something close to it.
Most of all, HAVE FUN! And don't be afraid to ask questions. We were all new to this at one time. Any one of us would be happy to answer questions.
For easy form filling, check out Roboform [roboform.com]. Google Tool bar and the autofill feature on IE also work well.
For Mac users, the best form filler is 1Password: http://agilewebsolutio
FireFox Form Filler browser extensions: https://addons.mozilla.
To set up the autofill feature in IE: Click on Tools, then internet options, then choose 'content'. When that pops up, click on "Autocomplete", and make sure to check the boxes for forms and passwords on forms. This is not a good idea if you are on a shared/public computer!
February 17, 2009, 3:10 am: System Notice: This thread has been automatically renewed after reaching a post limit. Most of its content has been moved to this thread for reference purposes.
July 12, 2010, 3:23 pm: System Notice: This thread has been automatically renewed after reaching a post limit. Most of its content has been moved to this thread for reference purposes.
Community Notes
About the Poster
Deal Details
Community Notes
About the Poster
The intent of this thread is for users, both new and not-so-new, to ask questions, and help with tips/advice. This is not by any means the "gospel". Please feel free to add your words of wisdom, and if you have questions, just ask! If you have a tip that will make sweeping easier for folks, please feel free to share. This is a community effort. We all will benefit in some way.
The Basic Advice/Tips for the new-to-sweeping folks.
Enter for the items you want/need. If you have no interest in trips, avoid the sweeps where the only prize is a trip. If you know you can't afford the tax on a new vehicle, avoid entering for those.
Set up folders in your bookmark/favorites. Create a separate one for each month, and file any sweeps you are interested in into the folder corresponding with when it ends. Then, if you have a day where you're pressed for time, enter at least the ones ending that day.
Play the instant win games.
Follow the rules! If a sweep is restricted to only females, a certain age group, certain states, etc, make sure you fit the criteria! If you don't, move on to another sweep that you do qualify for. Do not create a bunch of email addresses so you can enter something more than once, or so you can play an Instant win game more. The Sponsors can tell, and will DQ you. You're better off playing by the rules than cheating and getting disqualified and having NO entries.
Don't immediately dismiss essay required sweeps (or recipes, photos, etc)....well, unless you know you don't want to write something. A lot of people pass on them, so you might have a better shot at winning something.
Don't expect this to be lucrative enough to become a job. Yes, a lot of us win, and often, but not nearly enough to quit a job!
Expect things to go slow at first. It takes a while for the wins to roll in. But once they do...look out!
Expect to occasionally hit a dry spell. It happens to ALL of us.
DEFINITELY USE YOUR REAL INFO! If you use a fake phone number, and a sponsor is calling to notify people of wins, you'll never know what you missed out on. I, and many others, have been doing this for a long time, and we have no problems with sales calls. Also, use your real name. If your name is Robert or Catherine, using Bob or Cathy is ok, as they are known acceptable shorter versions of that name. if your name is Matilda, and you go by Fluffy, don't use Fluffy. Looking at your ID to get an affy notarized, they may reject it because the names don't match. The sponsor may also say "Fluffy won, not Matilda". So stick with using your real name, or something close to it.
Most of all, HAVE FUN! And don't be afraid to ask questions. We were all new to this at one time. Any one of us would be happy to answer questions.
For easy form filling, check out Roboform [roboform.com]. Google Tool bar and the autofill feature on IE also work well.
For Mac users, the best form filler is 1Password: http://agilewebsolutio
FireFox Form Filler browser extensions: https://addons.mozilla.
To set up the autofill feature in IE: Click on Tools, then internet options, then choose 'content'. When that pops up, click on "Autocomplete", and make sure to check the boxes for forms and passwords on forms. This is not a good idea if you are on a shared/public computer!
February 17, 2009, 3:10 am: System Notice: This thread has been automatically renewed after reaching a post limit. Most of its content has been moved to this thread for reference purposes.
July 12, 2010, 3:23 pm: System Notice: This thread has been automatically renewed after reaching a post limit. Most of its content has been moved to this thread for reference purposes.
The Basic Advice/Tips for the new-to-sweeping folks.
Enter for the items you want/need. If you have no interest in trips, avoid the sweeps where the only prize is a trip. If you know you can't afford the tax on a new vehicle, avoid entering for those.
Set up folders in your bookmark/favorites. Create a separate one for each month, and file any sweeps you are interested in into the folder corresponding with when it ends. Then, if you have a day where you're pressed for time, enter at least the ones ending that day.
Play the instant win games.
Follow the rules! If a sweep is restricted to only females, a certain age group, certain states, etc, make sure you fit the criteria! If you don't, move on to another sweep that you do qualify for. Do not create a bunch of email addresses so you can enter something more than once, or so you can play an Instant win game more. The Sponsors can tell, and will DQ you. You're better off playing by the rules than cheating and getting disqualified and having NO entries.
Don't immediately dismiss essay required sweeps (or recipes, photos, etc)....well, unless you know you don't want to write something. A lot of people pass on them, so you might have a better shot at winning something.
Don't expect this to be lucrative enough to become a job. Yes, a lot of us win, and often, but not nearly enough to quit a job!
Expect things to go slow at first. It takes a while for the wins to roll in. But once they do...look out!
Expect to occasionally hit a dry spell. It happens to ALL of us.
DEFINITELY USE YOUR REAL INFO! If you use a fake phone number, and a sponsor is calling to notify people of wins, you'll never know what you missed out on. I, and many others, have been doing this for a long time, and we have no problems with sales calls. Also, use your real name. If your name is Robert or Catherine, using Bob or Cathy is ok, as they are known acceptable shorter versions of that name. if your name is Matilda, and you go by Fluffy, don't use Fluffy. Looking at your ID to get an affy notarized, they may reject it because the names don't match. The sponsor may also say "Fluffy won, not Matilda". So stick with using your real name, or something close to it.
Most of all, HAVE FUN! And don't be afraid to ask questions. We were all new to this at one time. Any one of us would be happy to answer questions.
For easy form filling, check out Roboform [roboform.com]. Google Tool bar and the autofill feature on IE also work well.
For Mac users, the best form filler is 1Password: http://agilewebsolutio
FireFox Form Filler browser extensions: https://addons.mozilla.
To set up the autofill feature in IE: Click on Tools, then internet options, then choose 'content'. When that pops up, click on "Autocomplete", and make sure to check the boxes for forms and passwords on forms. This is not a good idea if you are on a shared/public computer!
February 17, 2009, 3:10 am: System Notice: This thread has been automatically renewed after reaching a post limit. Most of its content has been moved to this thread for reference purposes.
July 12, 2010, 3:23 pm: System Notice: This thread has been automatically renewed after reaching a post limit. Most of its content has been moved to this thread for reference purposes.
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9,749 Comments
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I have never won a contest ever before and I was wondering if you guys can give me any tips. They are asking me to fill out a W9 and a release form. I just want to make sure this is not a scam.
But, I won an iPad 2 back in July, and I had to complete & notarize an affidavit of eligibility, including my SS# for tax reporting.
My understanding is that sponsors are required to get this info for any prize valued over $600, and it's their choice to require the info on prizes under that. Hope that helps a little.
Oh, and by the way, which prize did you win? Congratulations!!
First, I qualify for SSI, Food Stamps(which in Washington State is through what's called the Quest Card) and Medical Coupons because my folks both work for a local school district, and because of the income they make every year.
Would qualifying for any of those things affect taxes as far as contest winnings go? In addition(for now) because of everything I mentioned above, I have a volunteer secretary job at a local church. Problem is I get a paying job, even part-time, it might affect the SSI and other benefits I and my family receive.
Also, my dad has heart and knee and a few other smaller medical issues. In addition, I already won tickets to a College Basketball game in December between Washington State and Pepperdine through a contest on the local ESPN Radio affiliate(Seattle)'s website.
My question with that is this: on the tickets, it says comp, for complementary. I looked online, and the value of the tickets if I hadn't won them would have been in the neighborhood of twenty-fourty dollars(I forget the exact value); now, as far as tax purposes go, would the value of the tickets be what you would report come income tax time?
Just curious.
I would say on tickets generally fair market value is the face value. By face value I mean what you would buy them for on the website. If you have a copy of the rules of the contest you won said amount usually listed in the rules. They are probably writing of that amount on their taxes somewhere.
I would say on tickets generally fair market value is the face value. By face value I mean what you would buy them for on the website. If you have a copy of the rules of the contest you won said amount usually listed in the rules. They are probably writing of that amount on their taxes somewhere.
To tell the truth, my odds are pretty astronomical in winning a vacation or a lot of money, so I guess it doesn't hurt to enter contests.
To tell the truth, my odds are pretty astronomical in winning a vacation or a lot of money, so I guess it doesn't hurt to enter contests.
I've been at this 5-6 years now...won 4 trips and 3 large cash prize. Odds may not be as bad as you think. I really live for those one of a kind experience wins. VIP Nascar trip, Superbowl Trip, and Trip to New Zealand all fit the bill. Just amazing experiences that I couldn't buy with any amount of money. Big corporations have the muscle power and reputation to pull off things that make those trips amazing. For example at the Nacar race, got to wave the green flag and present the poll award. Then got to walk around the garage and pit area with ym credentials. On my trip to NZ I got to fly around in a helicopter, had the entire top deck of a ship rented for me for harbor tour (and catered with lavish food), saw where lord of the rings was filmed, and got a jetboat tour. I NEVER in a million years thought I could be that person. For those trips I felt like a Millionaire jetsetter. You can too.
However, I recommend budgeting for those kinds of wins, otherwise you may have to tell them NO. Worse then that they may not re-award the prize. Only enter for things you can pay the taxes on.
Speaking of things that can be sold, I received a package yesterday from pepsi from their random acts of throwback promotion.
I got a back to the future DVD as part of the package, and I've been thinking about taking it to half price books or somewhere like that locally that buys DVDs.
I say this because I really am not a big fan of back to the future, so I might as well get something from it; question is should I do this?
Sign up for a Slickdeals account to remove this ad.
First, I qualify for SSI, Food Stamps(which in Washington State is through what's called the Quest Card) and Medical Coupons because my folks both work for a local school district, and because of the income they make every year.
Would qualifying for any of those things affect taxes as far as contest winnings go? In addition(for now) because of everything I mentioned above, I have a volunteer secretary job at a local church. Problem is I get a paying job, even part-time, it might affect the SSI and other benefits I and my family receive.
Also, my dad has heart and knee and a few other smaller medical issues. In addition, I already won tickets to a College Basketball game in December between Washington State and Pepperdine through a contest on the local ESPN Radio affiliate(Seattle)'s website.
My question with that is this: on the tickets, it says comp, for complementary. I looked online, and the value of the tickets if I hadn't won them would have been in the neighborhood of twenty-fourty dollars(I forget the exact value); now, as far as tax purposes go, would the value of the tickets be what you would report come income tax time?
Just curious.
Also, recently released LUCKIEST cities. To increase your luck odds move to one higher on the list. These were rated by sweepstakes/lottery wins, deaths by objects falling on you, lightning strikes, etc...
Luckiest
1. San Diego, CA A+
2. Baltimore, MD A+
3. Phoenix, AZ A
4. Wilmington, DE A
5. Richmond, VA A-
6. San Francisco, CA A-
7. Las Vegas, NV A-
8. Philadelphia, PA A-
9. Louisville, KY A-
10. Reno, NV B+
11. San Jose, CA B+
12. New York, NY B+
13. Boise, ID B+
14. Baton Rouge, LA B+
15. Fort Worth, TX B+
16. Omaha, NE B+
17. Indianapolis, IN B
18. Fresno, CA B
19. Dallas, TX B
20. Lincoln, NE B
21. St. Louis, MO B
22. Cincinnati, OH B
23. Los Angeles, CA B
24. Santa Ana, CA B-
25. Portland, OR B-
26. Pittsburgh, PA B-
27. Tulsa, OK B-
28. Seattle, WA B-
29. Denver, CO B-
30. Fort Wayne, IN B-
31. Charlotte, NC B-
32. Milwaukee, WI C+
33. Houston, TX C+
34. Kansas City, MO C+
35. Wichita, KS C+
36. Chicago, IL C+
37. Toledo, OH C+
38. Greensboro, NC C+
39. Columbus, OH C+
40. Providence, RI C+
41. Riverside, CA C+
42. Bakersfield, CA C+
43. Oakland, CA C
44. El Paso, TX C
45. Minneapolis, MN C
46. Tucson, AZ C
47. Sacramento, CA C
48. Plano, TX C
49. Honolulu, HI C
50. Albuquerque, NM C
51. Virginia Beach, VA C
52. Washington, DC C
53. Manchester, NH C
54. Durham, NC C-
55. Norfolk, VA C-
56. Columbia, SC C-
57. Oklahoma City, OK C-
58. Cleveland, OH C-
59. Lexington, KY C-
60. New Orleans, LA C-
61. Winston-Salem, NC C-
62. Detroit, MI C-
63. Portland, ME C-
64. Laredo, TX C-
65. Chesapeake, VA C-
66. Cheyenne, WY C-
67. Jersey City, NJ C-
68. Lubbock, TX C-
69. Jacksonville, FL C-
70. Austin, TX C-
71. Madison, WI D+
72. Stockton, CA D+
73. Aurora, CO D+
74. Birmingham, AL D+
75. Raleigh, NC D+
76. San Antonio, TX D+
77. Atlanta, GA D+
78. Corpus Christi, TX D
79. Orlando, FL D
80. St. Paul, MN D
81. Buffalo, NY D
82. Boston, MA D
83. Salt Lake City, UT D
84. Colorado Springs, CO D
85. Des Moines, IA D
86. Newark, NJ D-
87. Burlington, VT D-
88. Little Rock, AR D-
89. Anchorage, AK D-
90. Nashville, TN D-
Least lucky
91. Fargo, ND F
92. Miami, FL F
93. Bridgeport, CT F
94. St. Petersburg, FL F
95. Billings, MT F
96. Sioux Falls, SD F
97. Memphis, TN F
98. Jackson, MS F
99. Tampa, FL F
100. Charleston, WV F
Good record keeping will make paying taxes on your sweepstakes wins so much easier. Keep a ledger where you track information including detailed information about wins, including the name and sponsor of each contest, the date you expect to receive the prize, the date the prize actually arrived, and the ARV.
2)Collect 1099 Forms from Sponsors
If you had any wins with a prize value of more than $600, you will receive a 1099-MISC form from the sponsor at the end of the year, and many sponsors will send 1099-MISCs for smaller prizes as well. You will need to include the information from these forms on your taxes, and you'll want to keep copies for your records. By law, sponsors must mail these forms by January 31.
3)Check the Fair Market Value of Your Wins
Remember that you pay sweepstakes taxes on the Fair Market Value (FMV), not the sponsor's ARVs. If you have tracked the FMVs of all of your wins, use this amount on your taxes.
4)Total the Value of Your Wins
There's a common sweepstakes myth that says you only have to report prizes worth $600 or more. This is not true -- all prizes, large and small, are legally required to be reported on US taxes. Although the chances of you getting audited over a $20 GC is pretty unlikely.
5)Enter the Prize Total under "Other Income"
Once you have the total FMV of all of your sweepstakes wins, enter the value on line 21 of your 1040 form, in the section called Other Income.
Read instructions on filling out the "other income" section of the 1040. Prizes and awards are mentioned on page 34.
6)Itemize Your Expenses
If you are planning to itemize your expenses as a hobby or as a small business, you should do it here. Speak with your tax consultant about whether this is a good idea for your circumstances.
7)Let a Tax Professional Review Your Work
To be certain that everything is correct, ask a tax professional to review your filing. Sweepstakes taxes can complicate a return, and you want to be sure that you have not made any errors.
8)Submit Your Sweepstakes Information with Your Regular Taxes
Finish filling out the rest of your 1040 form and submit as usual with your regular income tax.
Good record keeping will make paying taxes on your sweepstakes wins so much easier. Keep a ledger where you track information including detailed information about wins, including the name and sponsor of each contest, the date you expect to receive the prize, the date the prize actually arrived, and the ARV.
2)Collect 1099 Forms from Sponsors
If you had any wins with a prize value of more than $600, you will receive a 1099-MISC form from the sponsor at the end of the year, and many sponsors will send 1099-MISCs for smaller prizes as well. You will need to include the information from these forms on your taxes, and you'll want to keep copies for your records. By law, sponsors must mail these forms by January 31.
3)Check the Fair Market Value of Your Wins
Remember that you pay sweepstakes taxes on the Fair Market Value (FMV), not the sponsor's ARVs. If you have tracked the FMVs of all of your wins, use this amount on your taxes.
4)Total the Value of Your Wins
There's a common sweepstakes myth that says you only have to report prizes worth $600 or more. This is not true -- all prizes, large and small, are legally required to be reported on US taxes. Although the chances of you getting audited over a $20 GC is pretty unlikely.
5)Enter the Prize Total under "Other Income"
Once you have the total FMV of all of your sweepstakes wins, enter the value on line 21 of your 1040 form, in the section called Other Income.
Read instructions on filling out the "other income" section of the 1040. Prizes and awards are mentioned on page 34.
6)Itemize Your Expenses
If you are planning to itemize your expenses as a hobby or as a small business, you should do it here. Speak with your tax consultant about whether this is a good idea for your circumstances.
7)Let a Tax Professional Review Your Work
To be certain that everything is correct, ask a tax professional to review your filing. Sweepstakes taxes can complicate a return, and you want to be sure that you have not made any errors.
8)Submit Your Sweepstakes Information with Your Regular Taxes
Finish filling out the rest of your 1040 form and submit as usual with your regular income tax.
I have sweeper friends that don't plan on claiming anything under $500, some say under $200, that it varies by state. I've tried to tell them that the IRS is FEDERAL, and does not vary by state. Sure hope none of them ever get audited.
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"On October 4, 2011 we contacted you via email regarding your status as a potential Weekly Prize Winner in the Mead Five Star Sweepstakes, sponsored by MeadWestvaco Corp.
We needed to receive the prize claim form and parental signature (as required) from you by October 14, 2011. However, as of this deadline, we have not received a reply from you. Therefore, since it is your choice not to accept this prize, please be aware that MeadWestvaco Corp., the sponsor of this sweepstakes, no longer has any financial obligation to you, and your prize has been forfeited.
On behalf of MeadWestvaco Corp., thank you for your participation in the Mead Five Star Sweepstakes."
I really didn't see any email from before... Is there any chance to reclaim the prize???