What is a Lottery winnings tax?

Lottery winnings tax refers to the federal and state income taxes owed on prizes received from lottery drawings. The IRS classifies all lottery prizes as ordinary income subject to the taxpayer's marginal rate, with mandatory 24% federal withholding applied to prizes exceeding $5,000. For 2025, the top federal rate is 37% under the OBBBA. State taxes range from 0% in no-income-tax states to 13.3% in California for multi-state jackpots. Winners may reduce taxable exposure through strategies such as the Oil and gas deduction and retirement contributions.

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