North Carolina Lottery

NCLottery MEGA Millions Jackpot Analysis

The MEGA Millions jackpot for the draw on Fri May 1, 2026 is estimated to be $178 Million, with a cash option of 79.6 Million. If you win the MEGA Millions jackpot, the IRS will withhold 24% of your prize money upfront, and you may owe up to an additional 13% in federal taxes when the tax is due. Additionally, if you are a resident of North Carolina, your state will take 4.75% of your lottery winnings.

Please note that the calculation of the MEGA Millions jackpot prizes and taxes below is based on FEDERAL INCOME TAX BRACKETS FOR 2023.

North Carolina MEGA Millions Jackpot/Cash Option for Fri May 1, 2026

Draw Date	Jackpot	Cash Option
Fri May 1, 2026	$178,000,000	$79,600,000

Lumpsum Option Taxes and Payment

Category	Amount
Cash Gross Payment	$79,600,000
Federal Tax(24%)	$19,104,000
Additional Federal Tax	$10,308,330
State Tax(4.75%)	$3,781,000
Net Lumpsum Payment	$46,406,670

Annuity Payment in 30 Installations

Year	Gross Payment	Fed/State Tax	Net Payment
1	$2,679,078	-$951,589 -$127,256	$1,600,233
2	$2,813,112	-$1,001,182 -$133,623	$1,678,307
3	$2,953,732	-$1,053,211 -$140,302	$1,760,219
4	$3,101,472	-$1,107,875 -$147,320	$1,846,277
5	$3,256,510	-$1,165,239 -$154,684	$1,936,587
6	$3,419,380	-$1,225,501 -$162,421	$2,031,458
7	$3,590,260	-$1,288,727 -$170,537	$2,130,996
8	$3,769,862	-$1,355,179 -$179,068	$2,235,615
9	$3,958,364	-$1,424,925 -$188,022	$2,345,417
10	$4,156,300	-$1,498,161 -$197,424	$2,460,715
11	$4,364,026	-$1,575,020 -$207,291	$2,581,715
12	$4,582,254	-$1,655,764 -$217,657	$2,708,833
13	$4,811,340	-$1,740,526 -$228,539	$2,842,275
14	$5,051,996	-$1,829,569 -$239,970	$2,982,457
15	$5,304,578	-$1,923,024 -$251,967	$3,129,587
16	$5,569,798	-$2,021,156 -$264,565	$3,284,077
17	$5,848,190	-$2,124,161 -$277,789	$3,446,240
18	$6,140,644	-$2,232,369 -$291,681	$3,616,594
19	$6,447,694	-$2,345,977 -$306,265	$3,795,452
20	$6,770,052	-$2,465,250 -$321,577	$3,983,225
21	$7,108,608	-$2,590,515 -$337,659	$4,180,434
22	$7,464,074	-$2,722,038 -$354,544	$4,387,492
23	$7,837,162	-$2,860,080 -$372,265	$4,604,817
24	$8,229,118	-$3,005,104 -$390,883	$4,833,131
25	$8,640,476	-$3,157,307 -$410,423	$5,072,746
26	$9,072,660	-$3,317,215 -$430,951	$5,324,494
27	$9,526,204	-$3,485,026 -$452,495	$5,588,683
28	$10,002,532	-$3,661,267 -$475,120	$5,866,145
29	$10,502,712	-$3,846,334 -$498,879	$6,157,499
30	$11,027,812	-$4,040,621 -$523,821	$6,463,370