About Take-Home Jackpot

Take-Home Jackpot answers one question on its own page for every state and jackpot size: how much of a lottery jackpot would you actually keep after taxes?

Every figure is computed from official numbers: the IRS brackets and withholding rules for 2026, each state's income tax rules for lottery prizes, the game rules published by Powerball and Mega Millions, and the official cash values of the current jackpots. Each value in our data files carries its source and the date it was checked, and the sources page lists them all.

Who maintains it

Editorial team, Tax data and methodology. Maintains the federal, state and game-rule data behind every figure on this site and reviews each rule against the official source.

What we do not do

We do not sell tickets, link to ticket sellers or betting sites, or publish odds tips or "lucky number" content. The site is a tax reference. It earns money from display advertising.

How the numbers are made

In short: federal tax uses the progressive 2026 brackets on top of the 24% withheld at claim; state tax applies the state's rate on lottery prizes, including exemptions and the New York City and Yonkers add-ons; the annuity is 30 payments rising 5% a year that add up to the advertised jackpot, each taxed in its own year. The full method, with every assumption, is on the methodology page.

Corrections

If a rate looks wrong or a rule has changed, please tell us with a link to the official source. Changes are logged in the changelog.