Mega Millions $463 Million After Taxes in North Carolina
The Mega Millions jackpot for Friday, October 30, 2026, 11:00 pm ET, is $463 million, or $194.9 million cash. A single winner in North Carolina who takes the cash keeps about $115.1 million after federal tax and North Carolina's 3.99%.
Did anyone win?
Tuesday, October 27, 2026: ----, Mega Ball
Nobody matched all five numbers and the Mega Ball, so the $443 million jackpot rolls to $463 million (cash value $195 million) for Friday, October 30, 2026 at 11:00 pm ET.
If nobody wins on Friday, past runs put the November 3, 2026 jackpot near $485 million, and a North Carolina winner would keep about $120.6 million. A projection, not the operator's figure.
Lump sum vs annuity in North Carolina
One winner, single filer, 2026 federal brackets. North Carolina withholds 3.99% (Tied by law to the flat income-tax rate, 3.99% for 2026).
| Lump sum | Annuity, 30 years | |
|---|---|---|
| Before tax | $194.9 million | $463 million |
| Federal withheld, 24% | −$46.8 million | −$111.1 million |
| North Carolina withheld, 3.99% | −$7.8 million | −$18.5 million |
| Paid to you | $140.3 million | $333.4 million |
| Federal still due at filing | −$25.3 million | −$58.7 million |
| Kept after tax | $115.1 million | $274.7 million |
Federal: 24% withheld, up to 37% owed
The lottery withholds 24% for the IRS before it pays. A jackpot puts almost all of the prize in the 37% bracket, so the federal bill on the cash comes to $72,063,000, 37.0% of it, and the $25,287,000 the withholding missed is due with the return. Set it aside: the cheque is not what you keep.
North Carolina tax on a Mega Millions jackpot
North Carolina withholds 3.99% (Tied by law to the flat income-tax rate, 3.99% for 2026): $7.8 million of the cash value. What you finally owe North Carolina is settled on its return, at its own income-tax rates. That ranks North Carolina 21 of 46 lotteries by what a winner keeps: $7.8 million less than in a state with no lottery tax, $13.5 million more than in New York.
The annuity, year by year
Thirty payments, each 5% bigger than the last, taxed in the year it is paid.
| Payment | Before tax | After tax in North Carolina |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | $7.0 million | $4.2 million |
| Year 10 | $10.8 million | $6.4 million |
| Year 20 | $17.6 million | $10.4 million |
| Year 30 | $28.7 million | $17.0 million |
Every state side by side · North Carolina Mega Millions: numbers, add-ons, ticket value · Tax calculator for any prize
Mega Millions after taxes in North Carolina: questions
- How much is the Mega Millions jackpot after taxes in North Carolina?
- For Friday, October 30, 2026, the advertised jackpot is $463 million and the cash value $194.9 million. A single winner in North Carolina who takes the cash keeps about $115.1 million once the federal bill is paid at filing and North Carolina's 3.99%. The annuity pays about $4.2 million after tax in the first year and $274.7 million over 30 years.
- How much tax is taken out of Mega Millions winnings in North Carolina?
- At the claim, 24% federal and 3.99% for North Carolina: on the $194.9 million cash value that is $46.8 million and $7.8 million, leaving a cheque of $140.3 million. A jackpot is taxed at up to 37%, so about $25.3 million more is due with the federal return.
- Lump sum or annuity: which keeps more in North Carolina?
- Over 30 years the annuity pays more in total after tax, $274.7 million against $115.1 million for the cash, because the advertised jackpot is the sum of payments that rise 5% a year. The cash is all paid now and could be invested; almost every jackpot winner takes it.
- Did anyone win the Mega Millions jackpot on October 27, 2026?
- No. Nobody matched all five numbers and the Mega Ball, so the $443 million jackpot rolls to $463 million (cash value $195 million) for Friday, October 30, 2026 at 11:00 pm ET. The numbers and every prize tier.
- Do I pay North Carolina tax if I live in another state?
- North Carolina withholds its 3.99% from a prize won on a ticket bought here, wherever you live. Your home state may tax the prize too, usually with a credit for tax paid to the state where the ticket was sold. The calculator takes any rate.