Christmas may come early this year, if you’re lucky.
An $862 Mega Millions jackpot is up for grabs Friday night, giving a lucky player the chance to stuff tons of stockings this holiday season.
Here are the winning numbers for Friday’s drawing: 2, 20, 51, 56, 67 and a MegaBall of 19. The Megaplier was 2X.
After more than three months without a big winner, the prize has ballooned to the seventh-largest prize in Mega Millions. The winner could opt for a $382.2 million cash option, which would be a one-time payment in lieu of receiving the full amount over 30 years.
Despite the lottery being a sweepstakes run by the government, the prize is still subject to taxes, which include an automatic withholding tax of 24% levied against the winnings, and another 13% in federal taxes when you file your 2024 return.
There are also state taxes in some jurisdictions, which range from 2.9% to 10.9% depending on the state you live in. But if you’re lucky enough to live in California, Florida, New Hampshire, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Washington or Wyoming, you won’t pay income in your winnings.