I understand the lottery up north are tax free. Those who have to buy the southern variety are not so lucky. The purchase price is a tax in a way. They keep half and pool the rest for the winners. Those who loose only are taxed once. The winners get taxed twice but they should be semi happy to pay that tax.
For the record if I win it after July 1 I will delay claiming the prize until next year. Tickets are valid for from 90 days up to one year which varies by state. Check the rules when in doubt. In between I would have a clear plan in place and be able to claim the money without my name becoming a public record and reduce the tax impact as much as possible. A few states do allow anonymous claims so you do not get hounded by endless scam artist the rest of your life. Moving to a state with out any income tax before the end of the year also reduces you tax due amount. Buying your own state is a better option to me if the lottery is a real big one.
You are going to pay about 40% taxes if you are lucky, 50+% in you are not. Federal, State, City, County, Medicare taxes will add up to a major pile of money.
