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That's a bit tough...here in the UK the winnings are tax free but once you take them out of a current account and make investments you pay tax on the interest.
Although I don't suppose that would be a major concern to someone who has just come into a mega sum of money.
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Actually, I believe there is a misunderstanding about lottery winnings. The OP about lotteries was responded to by a situation regarding a "casino". If the original question was about the various US single state and/or multi-state lotteries (MegaMilions, PowerBall, etc.), the winnings are usually untaxed by the states sponsoring the respective lotteries, e.g., if you win a main prize in the MegaMillions lottery, the particpating states do not assess tax on the winnings. This is done to encourage participation in the lottery. However, if you win a main prize, the payout is over a period spanning several years (varying from 25-30 years, depending on the states), as sort of an annuity. If a winner opts for a total cash payout, the winings are decreased by approximately a quarter to a third of the total. The reasoning for this is that the lottery would be out the potential interset to be earned on the principal amount if you had elected to have the winnings paid out over many years...
In all cases, however, the US federal taxes apply, so even if the states don't dun you, the IRS will...
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