Cash, yes. If I found $50,000 worth of gold buried in my
> backyard, I wouldn't owe any taxes until I sold it.
Actually, that is incorrect. You would owe taxes for the year you found it.
If I grow $1,000 worth of tomatoes in my back yard, I don't
> owe any taxes unless I sell them.
That is different from finding treasure trove.
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So, if I pick up a winning lottery ticket that someone dropped on the ground; but I don't cash it, I have to pay tax on it anyway? What if I pick it up off the ground and throw it in the trash, does the loss offset the income?
This is Treasure Trove and there are laws concerning Treasure Trove, e.g., you are suppose to attempt to find the owner. Failing to find the owner, you become the owner, but can avoid taxation by refusing to accept ownership.
It's pretty much the same as above. You declined to accept ownership.
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