Maryland State Tax on Lottery Winnings
Free Maryland lottery tax calculator for Powerball and Mega Millions. Maryland taxes lottery winnings at 6.50% (top marginal rate).
Current Powerball $302M jackpot, single filer
$77.68M
Actual take-home: 25.7% of what they advertise
Note: Some counties add local income tax
What you'd actually take home.
Lottery tax calculator for Powerball, Mega Millions, and every state.
Lotteries advertise the jackpot, never the after-tax cash, so pick your game, state, and filing status to see what you'd really keep after federal and state taxes.
Standard deduction: $16,100. All lottery income is taxed at your individual rate. This is the most common filing status for winners.
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From advertised to deposit, line by line.
Federal withholding hits first, then your full bracket math, then the state. Every row updates when you change the controls above. Sources are cited on each row.
Even winning is statistically a stretch.
How unlikely is "unlikely"?
The math most ticket buyers never see.
Eleven pages, three facts each. Every number comes from official odds, IRS 2026 brackets, FY2024 federal spending, and lottery cash-option ratios.
The wait
Step 04 · Browse by stateAll 50 states + DC, ranked by lottery tax bite.
10 states · no lottery taxHighest: Hawaii, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Washington DC
All 50 states + DC, ranked by lottery tax bite.
Click any tile to see that state's full breakdown. Green = no state lottery tax. Red = top-bracket states.
Maryland lottery winnings tax overview
The Maryland state tax on lottery winnings is 6.5%, a moderate rate near the middle of the 41 states that tax lottery payouts. Maryland ranks number 13 in that group. If you win a Powerball or Mega Millions prize in Maryland, the federal lottery tax of up to 37% applies on top of the state rate, and both reduce your lump sum cash option before the money ever reaches you. The Maryland lottery tax calculator above runs the full math for the current jackpot.
How the Maryland lottery payout calculator works
In Maryland, the lottery payout calculation begins with the lump sum cash option, which equals roughly 45% of the advertised jackpot. The IRS withholds 24% federal lottery tax at the moment of payout, but a Powerball or Mega Millions prize pushes the winner into the 37% top federal bracket, so additional federal tax comes due at filing. On top of that, Maryland taxes lottery winnings at 6.5% of the full lump sum. The lottery payout calculator above runs all of this math for you, using IRS 2026 brackets and the top marginal Maryland lottery tax rate. One Maryland specific detail to factor in: Some counties add local income tax.
How Maryland compares to other lottery tax states
Maryland's 6.5% lottery tax rate ranks number 13 out of 41 taxed states. States with a higher lottery tax rate than Maryland include Connecticut and Delaware. States with a lower rate include South Carolina and Rhode Island. For context, 10 states collect no lottery tax at all, which means a Powerball or Mega Millions winner in one of those states keeps an extra 6.5% of their lump sum compared to a winner in Maryland.
Maryland lottery tax FAQs
What is the Maryland state tax on lottery winnings?
Maryland taxes lottery winnings at a top marginal rate of 6.5%. This rate applies to the lump sum cash option from any Powerball or Mega Millions prize, and it is paid in addition to the federal lottery tax of up to 37% at the highest bracket. The lottery tax calculator above shows the exact dollar amount for any current jackpot.
Should I take the lump sum or annuity in Maryland?
Most Powerball and Mega Millions winners choose the lump sum cash option. In Maryland, both options face the same 6.5% state lottery tax rate, but the annuity spreads the tax across 30 years while the lump sum delivers the full cash value now. The lottery payout calculator above shows the lump sum after taxes; the annuity choice is a separate financial decision based on personal goals and investment return assumptions.
Does Maryland withhold tax on a lottery payout before payment?
The IRS withholds 24% federal lottery tax on any lottery prize above $5,000 before the winner ever sees the check. Maryland also withholds state tax at or near the 6.5% top rate at the moment of payout. The remaining federal balance, up to the 37% top bracket, then comes due in April when the winner files a federal return.