South Carolina State Tax on Lottery Winnings
Free South Carolina lottery tax calculator for Powerball and Mega Millions. South Carolina taxes lottery winnings at 6.00% (top marginal rate).
Current Powerball $302M jackpot, single filer
$78.37M
Actual take-home: 25.9% of what they advertise
Official Lottery
South Carolina Lottery ↗
www.sceducationlottery.com
State Budget FY2024
$14.4B
~$2,717 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.
South Carolina lottery winnings tax overview
The South Carolina state tax on lottery winnings is 6%, a moderate rate near the middle of the 41 states that tax lottery payouts. South Carolina ranks number 14 in that group. If you win a Powerball or Mega Millions prize in South Carolina, 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 South Carolina lottery tax calculator above runs the full math for the current jackpot.
How the South Carolina lottery payout calculator works
In South Carolina, 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, South Carolina taxes lottery winnings at 6% 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 South Carolina lottery tax rate.
How South Carolina compares to other lottery tax states
South Carolina's 6% lottery tax rate ranks number 14 out of 41 taxed states. States with a higher lottery tax rate than South Carolina include Delaware and Maryland. States with a lower rate include Rhode Island and New Mexico. 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% of their lump sum compared to a winner in South Carolina.
South Carolina lottery tax FAQs
What is the South Carolina state tax on lottery winnings?
South Carolina taxes lottery winnings at a top marginal rate of 6%. 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 South Carolina?
Most Powerball and Mega Millions winners choose the lump sum cash option. In South Carolina, both options face the same 6% 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 South Carolina 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. South Carolina also withholds state tax at or near the 6% 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.