SC Education Lottery
South Carolina Lottery Tax Calculator
South Carolina taxes most of a lottery prize at 6%, and claims over $100,000 must be made in person at the SC Education Lottery’s Columbia Claims Center.
Verified · tax year 2026
South Carolina prize — results
Take-home
62.1% kept of $1,000,000
Annuity · 30 payments
Year 1 — → year 30 —
| Cash received | $1,000,000 |
|---|---|
| Federal income tax | −$320,000 |
| Tax to South Carolina | $0 |
| South Carolina tax | −$59,344 |
| Local income tax | $0 |
| You keep | $620,656 |
| Federal withholding (24%) | −$240,000 |
|---|---|
| State withholding | not published |
| Check you receive | $760,000 |
| Still owed when you file | $139,344 |
Data: IRS Rev. Proc. 2025-32 · state agencies, verified · what this leaves out
The 6% bracket arrives early
South Carolina’s 2026 withholding formula (WH-1603F) taxes nothing up to $3,640, 3% to $18,230 and 6% above, with the same table for every filing status. On a $1,000,000 prize that is $59,344, or 5.93% — the 0% and 3% bands save less than a thousand dollars. The Department of Revenue notes that brackets are adjusted annually for inflation and that the top rate was 6% for 2025.
Claiming in Columbia
The SC Education Lottery requires winning tickets over $100,000 to be brought to the Columbia Claims Center, and says it withholds South Carolina taxes depending on the amount won without printing the rate. Georgians and North Carolinians who play in South Carolina should plan for their own state’s tax too.
South Carolina at a glance
| State income tax on winnings | Up to 6% |
|---|---|
| Rate table used | 2026 (SCDOR withholding formula boundaries) |
| Lottery | SC Education Lottery |
| State withholding at claim | Rate not published |
What South Carolina winners should know
- Winning tickets over $100,000 must be claimed in person at the Columbia Claims Center.
- South Carolina’s top 6% rate applies above about $18,230 in 2026, for every filing status.
South Carolina sources
- WH-1603F 2026 SC Withholding Tax Formula — South Carolina Department of Revenue
- Individual Income Tax — South Carolina Department of Revenue †
- How to Play / Claim — South Carolina Education Lottery †
Agency: South Carolina Department of Revenue. † read through a browser session (why). How the math works.