Take-Home Jackpot

Powerball after taxes in District of Columbia

Powerball jackpot $360 million, winner living in District of Columbia. Cash option $153.6 million.

You keep about

$80.3 million in cash, single filer

Eighty million three hundred six thousand and 00/100 dollars

Jackpot data as of Sep 24, 2026, for the Saturday, Sep 26 drawing.

Cash option, from advertised jackpot to what you keep
ItemAmountShare of jackpot
Advertised jackpotSum of 30 annuity payments$360,000,000
Cash optionOfficial cash value$153,600,000
Federal tax withheld at claim24% of the prize−$36,864,000
Federal tax still owed at filingTop bracket is 37%−$19,918,000
District of Columbia state tax10.75% of the prize; $13.1 million withheld at claim−$16,512,000
You keep22.3% of the advertised jackpot$80,306,000
Payout

DC taxes residents' lottery prizes at rates up to 10.75% on taxable income over $1 million, but the DC Lottery withholds only 8.5% on prizes over $5,000, so more is due at filing. Federal Home Rule rules bar DC from taxing nonresidents' personal income. Non-DC winners can reclaim any DC tax withheld with Form D-40B.

Lump sum or annuity in District of Columbia

Lump sum and annuity after tax in District of Columbia
Cash optionAnnuity (30 payments)
Before tax$153,600,000$360,000,000
Total tax−$73,294,000−$170,400,008
You keep$80,306,000$189,599,993
In today's dollarsannuity discounted at 3% a year$80,306,000$114,822,725
When you get itAll at once$2.9 million now, then yearly up to $11.7 million

The annuity keeps $109.3 million more after tax in total but pays it over 29 years; the cash would need to earn 5.48% a year after tax to fund the same payments. How to think about the choice.

The 30 annuity payments

30 payments from $2.9 million to $11.7 million after tax
30 annual payments, taxed in the year received (2026 brackets assumed every year)
PaymentYearBefore taxFederalStateAfter tax
12026$5,418,517−$1,954,851−$582,491$2,881,175
22027$5,689,442−$2,055,094−$611,615$3,022,733
32028$5,973,915−$2,160,349−$642,196$3,171,370
42029$6,272,610−$2,270,866−$674,306$3,327,439
52030$6,586,241−$2,386,909−$708,021$3,491,311
62031$6,915,553−$2,508,755−$743,422$3,663,376
72032$7,261,331−$2,636,693−$780,593$3,844,045
82033$7,624,397−$2,771,027−$819,623$4,033,747
92034$8,005,617−$2,912,078−$860,604$4,232,935
102035$8,405,898−$3,060,182−$903,634$4,442,081
112036$8,826,193−$3,215,692−$948,816$4,661,685
122037$9,267,502−$3,378,976−$996,256$4,892,270
132038$9,730,877−$3,550,425−$1,046,069$5,134,383
142039$10,217,421−$3,730,446−$1,098,373$5,388,602
152040$10,728,292−$3,919,468−$1,153,291$5,655,532
162041$11,264,707−$4,117,942−$1,210,956$5,935,809
172042$11,827,942−$4,326,339−$1,271,504$6,230,100
182043$12,419,339−$4,545,156−$1,335,079$6,539,105
192044$13,040,306−$4,774,914−$1,401,833$6,863,560
202045$13,692,322−$5,016,159−$1,471,925$7,204,238
212046$14,376,938−$5,269,467−$1,545,521$7,561,950
222047$15,095,785−$5,535,441−$1,622,797$7,937,547
232048$15,850,574−$5,814,713−$1,703,937$8,331,925
242049$16,643,103−$6,107,948−$1,789,134$8,746,021
252050$17,475,258−$6,415,846−$1,878,590$9,180,822
262051$18,349,021−$6,739,138−$1,972,520$9,637,363
272052$19,266,472−$7,078,595−$2,071,146$10,116,731
282053$20,229,795−$7,435,024−$2,174,703$10,620,068
292054$21,241,285−$7,809,276−$2,283,438$11,148,571
302055$22,303,349−$8,202,239−$2,397,610$11,703,500
Total$360,000,000−$131,700,008−$38,700,000$189,599,993

Full-page version with every state: Powerball annuity schedule for District of Columbia.

How District of Columbia compares

District of Columbia ranks 48th of 51 for what a single winner keeps from this jackpot in cash ($80.3 million).

Neighbouring states, same jackpot, cash option, single filer
StateState taxCash kept
District of Columbia10.75%$80.3 million
Maryland6.5%$86.8 million
Virginia5.75%$88 million

All 50 states and DC for this jackpot
Best states to win the lottery

Questions

How much is a $360 million Powerball jackpot after taxes in District of Columbia?

About $80.3 million if you take the cash option ($153.6 million before taxes), or about $189.6 million in total over 30 annual payments if you take the annuity. District of Columbia taxes the prize at 10.75%.

How much tax is taken out of lottery winnings in District of Columbia?

At claim the lottery withholds 24% for federal tax on prizes over $5,000. District of Columbia withholds 8.5% at claim. On a jackpot this size the final federal bill is closer to 37% of the prize because most of it falls in the 37% bracket, so about $19.9 million more is owed when you file.

What is the District of Columbia tax rate on lottery winnings?

10.75%. District of Columbia taxes lottery prizes as income; a jackpot is taxed almost entirely at the top rate of 10.75%, which is about $16.5 million on the cash option.

Is it better to take the lump sum or annuity in District of Columbia?

The annuity pays about $109.3 million more after taxes in total, spread over 29 years. The cash option comes out ahead only if you can earn more than 5.5% a year after tax on it. Many winners take the cash; the annuity protects against spending it too fast.

Which states do not tax lottery winnings?

Alaska, California, Florida, Nevada, New Hampshire, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Washington, Wyoming do not tax lottery prizes (California only exempts prizes from tickets bought there). Among the 50 states and DC, District of Columbia ranks 48th of 51 for what you keep from this jackpot.

These figures describe the taxes on a prize that has already been won; they are not a reason to buy a ticket. Jackpot odds are hundreds of millions to one. If gambling is causing problems for you or someone close to you, call or text 1-800-GAMBLER (National Problem Gambling Helpline, 24/7).

Sources for this page

Figures are estimates for planning, not tax or legal advice. How they are calculated: methodology. Read the disclaimer.