ByHow Much You Can Take Home After Paying Ohio Lottery Tax
You've pinched yourself and you're not dreaming - you actually won the lottery! No matter how much your ticket is worth, some of it will go toward taxes. For federal and state tax purposes, lottery winnings are treated as regular taxable income.
If you 're ready to cash in your winnings or you'd like to get some background before you meet with a tax professional, DoNotPay can answer some of your questions about Ohio 's lottery tax laws and what options you have when you win a lottery game.
How to Claim Your Lottery Winnings
For the safety and convenience of the vendors that participate in the lottery system and you as the winner, you have different redemption options based on the amount your ticket is worth.
Claims under $5,000
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Winnings under $50 |
You can cash in your ticket in person at any Ohio Lottery retailer. |
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Winnings between $50 and $599 |
You can cash your ticket in person at a retailer or make use of the mobile cashing feature in the Ohio Lottery mobile app. |
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Winnings between $600 and $5,000 |
You must file a claim form either online or by mail to get your winnings. To complete the claim form, you will first need to validate your ticket at a lottery retailer and get a Pay to Bearer receipt. Once you have all of the documentation, you can mail the paperwork to the lottery commission office. |
If you would like to collect your winnings in person, you can do so at the following locations:
- Any Ohio Lottery Super Retailer
- Cedar Downs and Northfield Park
- Any Ohio Lottery regional office - You will receive a prepaid debit card for the amount of your winnings, redeemable in cash at any PNC location.
- Any Racino - You must be 21 or older to use these locations.
Claims over $5,000
After having your ticket validated at a retailer, you can submit a claim for a winning ticket by mail or through the online claim form. Your ticket, Claim Form, and Pay to Bearer or File Claim Form receipt should be mailed to The Ohio Lottery Commission, The Lausche Building - Room 452, 615 West Superior Avenue, Cleveland, OH 44113. If you are not comfortable claiming through the mail or online, you can call any of the nine regional offices for help. Your check will be processed within 30 days. The Online Claim Form is not valid for Mega Millions, Powerball, Classic Lotto, or annuity prizes. You must make an appointment with a regional office for these claims.
Paying Taxes on Ohio Lottery Winnings
The federal withholding amount on any lottery winnings is 25%. The state tax withholding for Ohio is an additional 4%. If you live out of state, your taxes will not be automatically withheld, so be sure to account for that when you spend your winnings.
Other Reasons Your Winnings Look Smaller
After the taxes are paid, you may find that not all of the money made its way to you. Your winnings may have an intercept amount associated with them. The Ohio Lottery 's Prize Intercept Program can take a portion of your winnings if you owe money to the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services or the Attorney General's Office for child support, spousal support or state debt. If you have questions about the amount withheld or believe your winnings were intercepted in error, you may call the relevant offices:
- Ohio Lottery Claims Department: 1-800-686-4208
- Ohio Department of Job and Family Services: 1-800-686-1556
- Attorney General's Office: 1-888-246-0688.
Reporting Wins and Losses From Other Sources
The lottery isn't the only way to play. If you also play at casinos and want to request a gambling wins/losses statement for , DoNotPay has you covered in 5 easy steps:
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Search gambling tax deduction on DoNotPay.
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Enter the name of the casino and indicate whether it 's online or in-person.
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Tell us more about the dates and games you played, so the casino can identify your playing records.
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Select whether you have a players card or other form of membership with the casino and enter the relevant details. You also have the option to review other documents you can use as evidence when filing deductions.
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Select whether you want DoNotPay to mail the form for you.
Get Answers to All Your Lottery Tax Questions
can get complicated when you win a large sum of money. If you 'd like to learn more before meeting with a tax professional, DoNotPay can answer some of your questions about how much you'll pay in taxes on your winnings , how gambling losses factor into your tax filing and using gambling losses to offset wins for tax optimization.
Let DoNotPay Find You More Money
Winning the lottery isn't the only way to get more money in your pocket. DoNotPay can help you stretch the money you already have or get more of it by
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