Massachusetts State Tax on Lottery Winnings
Free Massachusetts lottery tax calculator for Powerball and Mega Millions. Massachusetts taxes lottery winnings at 9.00% (top marginal rate).
Current Powerball $302M jackpot, single filer
$74.25M
Actual take-home: 24.6% of what they advertise
Note: Includes the 4% surtax on income over $1M (the "millionaire tax")
Official Lottery
Massachusetts Lottery ↗
www.masslottery.com
State Budget FY2024
$57.0B
~$8,143 per resident ↗
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.
Massachusetts lottery winnings tax overview
The Massachusetts state tax on lottery winnings is 9%, which sits in the upper tier among states that collect a lottery tax. Ranked number 7 out of 41 taxed states, Massachusetts pulls a meaningful cut from any Powerball or Mega Millions payout before the federal lottery tax applies. The Massachusetts lottery tax calculator above breaks down every dollar of your potential lump sum prize, from the advertised jackpot to the final after tax number that lands in your account.
How the Massachusetts lottery payout calculator works
In Massachusetts, 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, Massachusetts taxes lottery winnings at 9% 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 Massachusetts lottery tax rate. One Massachusetts specific detail to factor in: Includes the 4% surtax on income over $1M (the "millionaire tax").
How Massachusetts compares to other lottery tax states
Massachusetts's 9% lottery tax rate ranks number 7 out of 41 taxed states. States with a higher lottery tax rate than Massachusetts include Oregon and Minnesota. States with a lower rate include Vermont and Wisconsin. 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 9% of their lump sum compared to a winner in Massachusetts.
Massachusetts lottery tax FAQs
What is the Massachusetts state tax on lottery winnings?
Massachusetts taxes lottery winnings at a top marginal rate of 9%. 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 Massachusetts?
Most Powerball and Mega Millions winners choose the lump sum cash option. In Massachusetts, both options face the same 9% 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 Massachusetts 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. Massachusetts also withholds state tax at or near the 9% 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.