ChamTax is an online calculator that shows the after-tax take-home amount for US Powerball and Mega Millions lottery winnings, for 51 countries of residence. This page breaks down how the tax generally works — a flat 30% US withholding, then whatever your home country adds on top — using Korea's specific rules as a fully worked example. You can calculate your own take-home amount for any supported country right below.
Last updated: 2026-08-03
30-second summary
Powerball is run by the Multi-State Lottery Association, so US tax law applies the moment you claim your prize. Non-US residents are classified as "nonresident aliens" under US tax law, so 30% is withheld under IRC §871(a) regardless of which of the 51 supported countries you live in.
What happens next depends entirely on your home country's own tax treaty and domestic law — some countries offset the US withholding with a foreign tax credit and charge nothing more, others add a further tax on top. Korea is a good worked example because its case is well-documented: the US-Korea tax treaty doesn't reduce tax on gambling or lottery income, and the case Park v. Commissioner (2011) confirmed that treaty relief doesn't apply to US gambling income for Korean residents. That means Korean residents also have to report and pay tax on it separately in Korea - though the tax paid in the US can partly offset that through the foreign tax credit. Use the calculator above to see your own country's structure.
This part is still a gray area under Korean law specifically. There's no clear official ruling yet on whether it's taxed like a domestic lottery win - a flat 22-33% separate tax - or whether it has to be added to comprehensive income tax (up to 45%). Even Korea's National Tax Service has said there's no settled case for this yet.
The announced Powerball jackpot is based on the annuity option. Most winners choose the lump sum, which pays out only about 45-60% of the announced amount in present value. Tax should be calculated on the actual lump-sum amount you receive, not the announced headline figure.
Curious how much you'd actually take home if you won?
Calculate it now →They're sold at convenience stores and gas stations across the US. Services based in Korea that offer to buy tickets online on your behalf may run afoul of Korean law (brokering lottery ticket sales is a criminal offense there), so we don't recommend using them.
Yes. You can legally collect a prize from a ticket you purchased legally even without US citizenship or a green card. The nonresident alien withholding rate (30%) applies, though.
It varies by state, but it's usually 90 days to a year. If you miss the deadline, the prize is forfeited and reverts to the state government - a winner in Ohio actually lost $138 million this way.
This page is for informational purposes only and does not sell, resell, or broker lottery tickets. Consult a tax professional for your actual tax filing.