The Internal Revenue Service considers lottery money as gambling winnings, which are taxed as ordinary income.The total amount of tax you pay on your lottery winnings will depend on multiple factors, including the state where you live and whether you take the winnings as a lump-sum payment (one check for the full amount after taxes have been withheld) or an annuity (smaller annual payments.

1. Powerball After Taxes Take Home
2. Powerball After Taxes Florida
3. Powerball Calculator Payout

• Final (30th) Payment (after Taxes): If winning the lottery is still just a dream, then you’ll know that the odds of your ticket winning certainly aren’t great. But buying lottery tickets online as part of a Powerball pool allows you to play 35 tickets at a time by splitting the cost with other players.
• The cash option — which most winners go with — for the next Powerball jackpot is $411.4 million. A federal 24% tax withholding would be just the start of what the winner would pay to the IRS.

Powerball prizes are subject to tax so it is not just a case of looking at the advertised amounts to see how much money you would receive if you won. The rate of withholding depends on how much you win and the jurisdiction in which you buy your ticket. A federal tax is levied on all winners of prizes greater than $5,000, while many of the participating states apply their own tax on top of this. In addition, some locations, such as New York City, levy a local tax on lottery winnings.

You can find out how much tax you might have to pay below. As it is such a complex issue, you should consult a financial expert in the event of a big lottery win so that you're fully aware of your tax obligations.

Federal Taxes on Lottery Winnings

Lottery winnings are treated as income in the United States, so your final tax bill depends on how much money you make in total in a year, not just the amount you win in the lottery. The following table shows the federal tax obligations for a Powerball winner filing as a single taxpayer. The rates you pay may differ depending on your individual circumstances.

Federal tax rules are consistent across the U.S. You do not have to pay tax on any prize up to $600, but you must report your winnings to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) if you win an amount between $600.01 and $5,000. You will be issued a W-2G form to complete with your tax returns.

A federal tax of 24 percent will be taken from all prizes above $5,000 (including the jackpot) before you receive your prize money. You may then be eligible for a refund or have to pay more tax when you file your returns, depending on your total income. If you win the jackpot you will be subject to the top federal tax rate of 37 percent. Players who are not U.S. citizens are subject to an initial federal tax payment of 30 percent rather than 24 percent.

Deductions for Gambling Losses

Playing the lottery is classed as gambling as far as the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) is concerned, which means that you are entitled to a tax deduction on any losses incurred. To file these deductions, you will need to keep an accurate record of your wins and losses, as well as any evidence of them, such as the tickets you bought. You must itemize the deductions on the tax form 1040, obtainable from the IRS website. The losses you deduct cannot exceed your income from all forms of gambling, including but not limited to horse racing, casinos, and raffles.

If you win the jackpot and take the annuity payout, the annual payments will be recorded individually in each tax year, and will count towards your gambling income for that year. This should be taken into consideration when recording wins and losses for tax deduction purposes.

State Taxes

In addition to federal taxes, your Powerball winnings may also be subject to state taxes. It is important to remember that the tax levied on your prize will not only vary by state but also depending on your individual circumstances.

The following table shows the rate of withholding for each participating jurisdiction, along with the threshold for when prizes start to be taxed at a state level.

Tax Calculator

Use the tax calculator below to calculate how much of your payout you would be taking home following the respective federal and state taxes that are deducted. Just enter the amount you have won and select your state. Then select if this was the jackpot or not, and if it was then choose whether you took the annuity option or cash lump sum.

Local Taxes

In addition to federal and state taxes, many cities, counties and municipalities in the United States levy a local income tax. This can vary greatly depending on the location, but in all cases it will be applied on top of any other income taxes. New York City, for example, applies a local tax of 3.876 percent in addition to the top state income tax rate of 8.82 percent and the top federal rate of 37 percent.

This means that a New York resident who opts for the cash lump sum payout of Powerball’s starting jackpot will end up with a final payout of roughly $8.4 million, just 42 percent of the advertised $20 million (*During the Coronavirus pandemic, the starting jackpot may be lower than this) prize. Being aware of these rules before you make a prize claim can protect you from the shock of seeing millions of dollars slashed from your prize money.

Taxes for Lottery Pools

If you win a large prize as part of a lottery pool, you are still required to pay taxes on your winnings. Each member of the group will be liable to pay their share of taxes, so everyone will need to report the income when filing their returns. Some states make this easy, as they allow each member of a lottery pool to claim individually through a shared or multiple ownership claim. In these cases the prize money will be paid directly to each member of the pool and the appropriate taxes will be withheld at the point of payment.

It gets slightly more complicated when the entirety of the prize money is paid to one representative, who is then responsible for distributing the winnings to other people. In these cases, anyone receiving a share of the money who is not named as the actual winner will need to complete IRS form 5754 to report the income. This will need to be filled out by every member of the group except the named claimant before the prize money is distributed. Form 5754 must be filed by December 31st of the tax year in which the prize was paid.

In the event of a big prize win, you should contact your state lottery for further guidance about your tax obligations and what you need to do to report the income correctly.

We think it's important for you to understand how we make money. It's pretty simple, actually. The offers for financial products you see on our platform come from companies who pay us. The money we make helps us give you access to free credit scores and reports and helps us create our other great tools and educational materials.

Compensation may factor into how and where products appear on our platform (and in what order). But since we generally make money when you find an offer you like and get, we try to show you offers we think are a good match for you. That's why we provide features like your Approval Odds and savings estimates.

Of course, the offers on our platform don't represent all financial products out there, but our goal is to show you as many great options as we can.

This article was fact-checked by our editors and Christina Taylor, MBA, senior manager of tax operations for Credit Karma Tax®.

Hit it big playing the lottery? You’re probably thinking about how you’ll spend all that sweet cash. But first, Uncle Sam is going to want his cut.

The Internal Revenue Service considers lottery money as gambling winnings, which are taxed as ordinary income. The total amount of tax you pay on your lottery winnings will depend on multiple factors, including the state where you live and whether you take the winnings as a lump-sum payment (one check for the full amount after taxes have been withheld) or an annuity (smaller annual payments that are paid out and taxed over time).

Although you probably won’t be able to completely escape the tax man, you may be able to offset taxes on lottery winnings by claiming deductions you qualify for. Here are some things to know about paying federal income taxes on lottery winnings. Keep in mind tax rules may vary for state and local income taxes, so for the purposes of this article, we’re talking about federal income taxes only.

Do I have to pay taxes on lottery winnings?

The IRS considers most types of income taxable, unless the tax code specifically says it’s not. Because lottery winnings are considered gambling winnings, which are definitely considered taxable income, the IRS will want its cut.

For lottery winnings, that means one of two things.

• You’ll either pay taxes on all the winnings in the year you receive the money — for winnings paid out as a lump-sum payment.
• Or you’ll pay taxes only on the amount you receive each year — for winnings paid as an annuity.

Take note: If you receive interest on annuity installments that haven’t been paid to you yet, that interest must be included in your gross income for the tax year you received it.

How will the IRS know about my lottery winnings?

If your winnings are $600 or more, the lottery agency is supposed to give you a Form W-2G that you’ll have to file with your federal income tax return if the agency withheld federal income tax from your winnings.

The lottery agency is also required to send a copy of this form to the IRS if your winnings are $600 or more, so it’s important to accurately report your winnings on your federal tax return.

And even if you don’t receive a W-2G for your lottery winnings (or other type of gambling payouts), you’re still expected to report those winnings as income on your federal tax return.

How could winning the lottery affect my taxes overall?

Getting a huge financial windfall can be life-changing, but it doesn’t change everything — you’ll still have to pay taxes and bills. Federal and state taxes can decrease the amount of money you ultimately receive, so it’s crucial to understand taxes on lottery winnings when you strike it big.

Whether you’re all-in on your prize money and accept it as a lump sum or you’re receiving payments over time, winning the lottery generally increases your income. Taxes are calculated based on your taxable income for the year, so if the extra income from lottery winnings moves you into a higher tax bracket, you’ll typically end up paying more income tax.

If you fail to report taxable income (including lottery winnings) on your tax return, you could owe additional tax, interest and even penalties.

What is the tax rate for lottery winnings?

Depending on where you live, you may need to pay taxes on lottery winnings to your state and local governments in addition to the federal government.

Federal tax

Right off the bat, lottery agencies are required to withhold 24% from winnings of $5,000 or more, which goes to the federal government. But, depending on whether your winnings affect your tax bracket, there could potentially be a gap between the mandatory withholding amount and what you’ll ultimately owe the IRS.

Even if your lottery winnings don’t boost your tax bracket, if the federal government withheld too much tax on your lottery winnings, you might get a refund at tax time.

State and local tax

Each state has its own rules on taxing lottery winnings, so check both your state’s tax website and your city’s tax website for information. For example, if you live and win in New York City, the state government will withhold 8.82% and the city will withhold another 3.876% — on top of your base federal withholding of 24%.

Seven states — Alaska, Florida, Nevada, South Dakota, Texas, Washington and Wyoming — don’t have income tax, so big winners in those states won’t pay state taxes on prize money. Some other states don’t have a state lottery at all.

And three more states — California, New Hampshire and Tennessee — exclude their state lottery winnings from taxable income. But before you play the lottery in a different state, check the rules so that you know whether any taxes will apply to your winnings.

Should I take a lump sum or annuity payments?

Whether you get to choose between a lump sum or annual installments for your lottery payout can depend on different factors, like state lottery rules and how much you won. Either way, here’s how the two payout types will affect your federal income taxes.

Lump-sum impact

Receiving your winnings as a single lump sum could potentially bump you right into the highest bracket for the tax year in which you win the lottery. That would mean if you win a very large amount, your income over a set threshold ($518,401 for single taxpayers and $622,051 for married couples filing jointly, for 2020) would be taxed by the IRS at 37%.

“If you decide to have a lump sum payment, that would probably put you in the higher tax bracket for that one year,” says Megan McManus, CPA and owner at Megan McManus, CPA.

Powerball After Taxes Take Home

For example, if you’re single and your current taxable income is $40,000, a $1 million lottery payout, taken in a lump sum, would increase your total income to $1,040,000 for the tax year. At the federal level, the portion of your income over $518,401 would be taxed at 37%. But all the lower tax rates would also apply to portions of your income less than that threshold. Here’s what you’d pay (rounded to the nearest dollar).

• 10% on income up to $9,700 = $970
• 12% on the next $29,775 = $3,573
• 22% on the next $44,725 = $9,839
• 24% on the next $76,525 = $18,366
• 32% on the next $43,375 = $13,880
• 35% on the next $306,200 = $107,170
• 37% on the last $529,700 = $195,989

If you add all that up, your total federal income tax obligation for the year would be $349,787.

Annual payments impact

Depending on your income, receiving annual payments will also likely affect your tax bracket — but the immediate financial impact could be less.

“The annuity payments would probably allow you to be in a lower tax bracket each year,” McManus says.

Let’s look at the above scenario with the same amount of lottery winnings broken out into 30 annual payments of about $33,333.

Powerball After Taxes Florida

With the annuity approach, your taxable income would increase to just $73,333 in the year you won the lottery (assuming other factors like a wage increase didn’t boost your taxable income). The highest federal tax rate that would apply to your income would be just 22%. Here’s what you’d pay (rounded to the nearest dollar).

• 10% on up to $9,700 = $970
• 12% on the next $29,775 = $3,573
• 22% on the remaining $33,858 = $7,449

Your total federal income tax obligation for the year in which you win would be just $11,992.

Powerball Calculator Payout

Learn more about the marginal tax rate and what it means for your winnings.

How can I offset federal taxes on lottery winnings?

If you’ve won the lottery, the IRS expects you to report it as income on your tax return. And Uncle Sam is going to want his share whether you receive your winnings as a lump sum or annual payments. But there are ways to try to offset the increased tax obligation your lottery winnings will cause.

Claim deductions

Deductions are dollar amounts the IRS allows you to subtract from your adjusted gross income, or AGI, if you meet the requirements. This lowers your taxable income, which in turn can reduce your tax obligation. Here are two possible deductions (if you itemize).

1. Charitable donations — You may be able to deduct the value of your charitable contributions from your income as long as the organization is a qualified tax-exempt organization — but certain conditions and limits apply. For example, you can only deduct cash donations that are equal to no more than 60% of your AGI.
2. Gambling losses — You can deduct your gambling losses (like the cost of lottery tickets that you didn’t win on) as long as they don’t exceed the winnings you report as income. For example, if you report $1,000 in winnings but you have $2,000 in losses, you can only deduct $1,000.

Play the lottery in a pool

If you join a pool with others to buy lottery tickets, then any potential lottery prizes will be smaller because you’re sharing it — but your tax hit will be smaller, too.

“You’ll only be taxed on your portion of the income,” McManus says, “so if you receive a third of the winnings, you would only pay tax on that third.”

To make sure you’re taxed correctly, document how much of the winnings go to each person in your group. Ask the lottery agency to cut checks for each person in the pool instead of having one person collect and distribute the winnings. This may help ensure you only pay taxes on the amount you actually receive.

What’s next

Winning the lottery could change your life by giving you a certain level of financial freedom. But before claiming your prize, consider speaking with a financial or tax adviser who can help you understand the potential tax impact of your winnings and plan the best way to manage your windfall.

Consider how you plan to use the money.

“If you want to buy a house or put your kids through college, you might need the funds now, as opposed to taking annual payments,” McManus says.

But if your objective is to ensure a steady stream of income, annual payments may be more appealing to you.

Whether you receive your lottery winnings as a lump sum or annual payments though, you’ll still have to pay the federal government — and possibly your state and local government — their share of your winnings. So it’s important to have a plan for how to best save, invest and grow the winnings you’ll keep.

Relevant sources: Topic No. 419 Gambling Income and Losses IRS: Publication 538 New York Lottery General Rules IRS: Pay As You Go, So You Won’t Owe

Christina Taylor is senior manager of tax operations for Credit Karma Tax®. She has more than a dozen years of experience in tax, accounting and business operations. Christina founded her own accounting consultancy and managed it for more than six years. She codeveloped an online DIY tax-preparation product, serving as chief operating officer for seven years. She is the current treasurer of the National Association of Computerized Tax Processors and holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration/accounting from Baker College and an MBA from Meredith College. You can find her on LinkedIn.

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