Wisconsin Lottery
Wisconsin Lottery Tax Calculator
The Wisconsin Lottery withholds 7.65% — Wisconsin’s top rate — from payouts of $2,000 or more, so most large Wisconsin winners are close to settled with the state at claim.
Verified · tax year 2026
Wisconsin prize — results
Take-home
65.4% kept of $1,000,000
Annuity · 30 payments
Year 1 — → year 30 —
| Cash received | $1,000,000 |
|---|---|
| Federal income tax | −$280,251 |
| Tax to Wisconsin | $0 |
| Wisconsin tax | −$65,588 |
| Local income tax | $0 |
| You keep | $654,161 |
| Federal withholding (24%) | −$240,000 |
|---|---|
| State withholding | −$76,500 |
| Check you receive | $683,500 |
| Still owed when you file | $29,339 |
Data: IRS Rev. Proc. 2025-32 · state agencies, verified · what this leaves out
Withholding at the top rate
Wisconsin’s brackets run 3.5%, 4.4%, 5.3% and 7.65%; for 2025 the top rate starts at $323,290 for single filers and heads of household and at $431,060 for married couples. A married couple with a $1,000,000 prize and no other income owes $65,588 of Wisconsin tax, against $76,500 withheld at 7.65% — the lower brackets produce a refund of the difference.
Wisconsin has not yet posted its 2026 inflation-adjusted brackets, so the 2025 table is used and labeled.
Annuities funded with bonds
The Wisconsin Lottery explains that when a jackpot winner picks the annuity, the cash pool buys government bonds that pay out over 30 years for Powerball and Mega Millions (25 years for Megabucks), with taxes withheld from each payment. Nonresidents who win in Wisconsin prorate Wisconsin tax by the ratio of Wisconsin income to federal AGI on Form 1NPR.
Wisconsin at a glance
| State income tax on winnings | Up to 7.65% |
|---|---|
| Rate table used | 2025 schedule (latest posted) |
| Lottery | Wisconsin Lottery |
| State withholding at claim | 7.65% at $2,000+ |
What Wisconsin winners should know
- Wisconsin withholds its 7.65% top rate from payouts of $2,000 or more, so most large winners are close to settled with the state.
- Nonresidents prorate Wisconsin tax by the ratio of Wisconsin income to federal AGI (Form 1NPR).
- Wisconsin jackpot annuities are funded with government bonds and taxes are withheld from each yearly payment.
Wisconsin sources
- Tax Rates FAQ — individual income tax rates — Wisconsin Department of Revenue †
- FAQs — Do I have to pay taxes on my winnings? — Wisconsin Lottery †
Agency: Wisconsin Department of Revenue. † read through a browser session (why). How the math works.