About WinningsTax

You won money gambling and want to know how much of it is yours. The number the casino or sportsbook withholds is rarely the answer: slot jackpots have nothing withheld, big wins owe more than the 24% taken, and from 2026 only 90% of losses are deductible. WinningsTax works out what you'll actually owe, federal and state, and says why in plain English.

How it works

The calculator applies published rules: IRS forms, instructions and publications, the Internal Revenue Code, and each state's revenue department, statutes and lottery. Every rule is stored with its source and the date it was last checked, and each page lists the sources it uses. Rules we couldn't confirm on a primary source are flagged on the page and listed on the methodology page, which also explains exactly how a result is calculated.

Rules are rechecked at the start of each tax year, when the IRS publishes new forms, and when a state changes its law.

What it is not

• Not tax advice. Results are estimates from general rules. Your return depends on things the calculator doesn't know. For a large win, talk to a tax professional.
• Not affiliated with the IRS, any state revenue department, any lottery, casino, sportsbook or gaming regulator.
• Not a gambling site. We don't take bets or promote gambling. If gambling is causing you problems, call 1-800-GAMBLER.

If you won a lottery jackpot, our sister site LotteryPlan covers lump sum versus annuity and planning.

Who runs it

WinningsTax is an independent site built and maintained by Donny West.

Corrections are welcome. See the corrections page, or email hello@winningstax.com.