A Lottery Win Isn’t Always a “Win”Īs mentioned earlier, winning the lottery doesn't mean you can always collect the prize. No matter the amount or location of your win, the government will get its share of taxes. Both Maryland and Arizona will tax you on your winnings – even if you reside elsewhere. You may even need to pay an additional penalty if you bought the ticket out of your state of residence. In addition to the 25% immediate tax hit, you’ll also need to comply with your state income tax code and pay tax at the ordinary income tax rates for your state. The rest of your taxes are based on your income tax bracket (to be paid when you file that year’s return). Before you can receive a single dollar, the IRS automatically takes 25% of the winnings for federal tax purposes. Lottery winnings are taxed as ordinary income, whether you take the “lump sum” or the “annuity” option. You Have to Pay Taxes on Your WinningsĮven if you don’t have to split your winnings with another lottery player, you always have to split your winnings with the IRS. Since 2,000 people had chosen the winning numbers (0-0-0-0), the winnings were roughly $3,900 per person. While a $100,000,000 jackpot might sound amazing, if 4 other people win, you’d only be going home with $20,000,000.Ĭonsider the North Carolina Pick-4 lottery that was valued at $7,800,000. In fact, sometimes they have to share the winnings with one or many other people. Sometimes, winners don’t get the full prize. The best way to protect your lottery ticket is to immediately sign the back of it, which prevents anyone else from cashing it in. Lottery tickets are considered cash unless you sign the back of the ticket. If she hadn’t found that ticket, she wouldn’t have been able to collect her $343,900,000 prize. She took a picture of the numbers, sent them to her mother and Leyrnne realized she had won. She was just moving into her new home, heard there was a winning ticket purchased in Iowa, and couldn’t find her ticket.Īfter searching everywhere, she finally called her daughter who luckily found the winning ticket in her car. Just ask Lerynne West, Iowa’s biggest prize winner in the Powerball jackpot in 2018. In fact, if you happen to misplace your winning ticket, you can’t collect your prize. Lottery Tickets Are Like Cash and Can’t Be ReplacedĮven if you've picked the winning numbers, you still might not be considered a winner. Your life is about to change forever, but there are a few downsides of winning the lottery to consider. You watch the broadcast, the numbers are called and you stand there in shock, holding the winning ticket. There's no predictable method for picking winning numbers in the lottery. Whether you’re continuing to use your children’s birthdays and ages as your lucky numbers – or you just let the machine “quick pick” for you – you have the same probability of winning. It doesn’t really matter how you pick your numbers, the odds are the same. In reality, however, the percentage of winners using the quick pick option vs the percentage of winners using their own numbers is nearly identical. those that choose their own numbers.Ĭonsidering more people use the Quick Pick option, it makes sense there are more Quick Pick winners. In fact, more lottery winners use the quick pick option vs. Your Own Numbers: Which is Better?ĭo you have a set of “lucky numbers” that will help you win the big prize? Unfortunately, they may not give you an advantage in the lottery. Despite these odds, millions still play each week. In fact, you’re nearly 20,000 times more likely to be struck by lightning. Though many buy lottery tickets thinking they could possibly win (“you can’t win if you don’t play”), the reality is much harsher.Īs you can see, the possibility of winning the lottery is dismal. What Are Your Chances of Winning the Lottery? Here are 5 common sense lotto realities that everyone ignores. But is winning the lottery actually a curse? Even just thinking about what you’d do with unexpected millions invites fun conversation around the dinner table. Winning the lottery is what many consider the ultimate dream. It’s simple: Pick 6 numbers, match the numbers drawn on TV, win millions.
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