Virginia State Tax on Lottery Winnings
Free Virginia lottery tax calculator for Powerball and Mega Millions. Virginia taxes lottery winnings at 5.75% (top marginal rate).
Current Powerball $516M jackpot, single filer
$121.76M
Actual take-home: 23.6% of what they advertise
What You'd Actually Take Home.
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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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What to Know Before Claiming a Jackpot in Virginia
Virginia taxes lottery winnings at a top rate of 5.75%, a middle-of-the-road number, but the privacy rules changed in the winner's favor twice in two years. A 2019 law shielded winners of $10 million or more, that threshold dropped to $1 million in mid-2025, and as of July 1, 2026 every Virginia Lottery winner can claim anonymously regardless of prize size. The Lottery will not release a winner's name or hometown without written permission, though it can still name the city, the game, and the amount. You have 180 days to claim, and large prizes are handled by appointment in Richmond.
- State tax rate (2026)
- 5.75% top rate, on income over $17,000
- Deadline to claim
- 180 days after the drawing
- Anonymity
- Allowed for every winner. As of July 1, 2026, Virginia law bars the Lottery from releasing a winner's name or home locality without written consent, at any prize amount
- Where jackpots are claimed
- By appointment at Virginia Lottery headquarters in Richmond, or by mail to the Richmond claims office
- What proceeds fund
- K-12 public education. Since 1999 all Virginia Lottery profit has gone to public schools, more than $901 million in fiscal 2025, about 10% of the state's K-12 budget
Sources: Virginia Tax: Tax Rate Schedule · Code of Virginia Section 58.1-4029 · Virginia Lottery: How To Claim a Prize · Virginia Lottery: Benefiting K-12 Public Education
Virginia Lottery Winnings Tax Overview
The Virginia state tax on lottery winnings is 5.75%, a moderate rate near the middle of the 41 states that tax lottery payouts. Virginia ranks number 16 in that group. If you win a Powerball or Mega Millions prize in Virginia, 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 Virginia lottery tax calculator above runs the full math for the current jackpot.
How the Virginia Lottery Payout Calculator Works
In Virginia, 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, Virginia taxes lottery winnings at 5.75% 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 Virginia lottery tax rate.
How Virginia Compares to Other Lottery Tax States
Virginia's 5.75% lottery tax rate ranks number 16 out of 41 taxed states. States with a higher lottery tax rate than Virginia include Rhode Island and New Mexico. States with a lower rate include Montana and Kansas. 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 5.75% of their lump sum compared to a winner in Virginia.
Virginia Lottery Tax FAQs
What is the Virginia state tax on lottery winnings?
Virginia taxes lottery winnings at a top marginal rate of 5.75%. 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 Virginia?
Most Powerball and Mega Millions winners choose the lump sum cash option. In Virginia, both options face the same 5.75% 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 Virginia 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. Virginia also withholds state tax at or near the 5.75% 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.
Can you stay anonymous if you win the lottery in Virginia?
Yes, as of July 1, 2026. A change to the Virginia Lottery Law that year removed the last dollar threshold, so the Lottery may not publicly disclose any winner's name or home locality without the winner's written consent. Virginia first allowed anonymity for prizes of $10 million or more in 2019 and lowered the bar to $1 million in 2025 before dropping it entirely.