5.99% state tax · rank 14 of 46

Rhode Island Powerball Tax Calculator

This Rhode Island Powerball tax calculator runs your state's own numbers, not a national average. It starts from the current advertised jackpot of $633 Million, converts it to the $277 Million cash value, withholds 24% for the IRS, adds the federal tax still owed at filing, and then applies Rhode Island's 5.99% state tax. The estimated Rhode Island take-home is $158,131,710.

Last updated:

$158 MillionEstimated lump-sum take-home
42.97%Modeled effective tax rate
5.99%Rhode Island state tax rate
$363 MillionEstimated 30-payment take-home

Rhode Island Powerball Tax Facts

Rhode Island tax on lottery winnings
5.99% (rank 14 of 46 participating jurisdictions)
Federal withholding at claim
24% of any prize above $5,000
Top federal marginal rate applied
37%
Current cash value used
$277,300,000
Estimated lump-sum take-home in Rhode Island
$158,131,710
Estimated effective tax rate
42.97%
Participates in Powerball
Yes — Rhode Island ticket sales close at 9:45 PM ET on draw days

Verified 2026-07-28 Source: State rates from this site’s state table (state lottery sites, Tax Foundation); federal brackets from the IRS 2026 single-filer schedule

What Rhode Island Actually Takes

Rhode Island applies an estimated 5.99% to lottery winnings, which ranks 14 out of the 46 participating jurisdictions — in the middle of the table. On the $277 Million cash value that comes to $16,610,270 for the state alone. Put differently, a Rhode Island winner keeps $17 Million less than the same ticket bought in one of the 9 zero-tax jurisdictions, and $14 Million more than a winner in New York. That is the rate the Rhode Island Powerball tax calculator applies to the cash value above, before anything federal.

The number that surprises people is not the state line, though — it is the federal one. Withholding and final tax are different events. $66,552,000 is withheld the day the prize is paid, and a further $36,006,020 is still owed when the return is filed, because the prize sits in the 37% bracket. A Rhode Island winner who treats the first deposit as the final amount is planning against a number that is $36 Million too high.

Rhode Island Lump-Sum Breakdown at $277 Million

Every line the Rhode Island Powerball tax calculator produces is listed separately on purpose. No hidden assumptions, no promotional framing, and no suggestion that a calculator replaces professional advice. Use it as the first pass before you speak with a tax attorney, fiduciary planner, or CPA.

Advertised annuity$633,000,000
Cash value (about 43.81%)$277,300,000
Federal withholding at claim (24%)-$66,552,000
Additional federal owed at filing-$36,006,020
Rhode Island state tax (5.99%)-$16,610,270
Estimated Rhode Island take-home$158,131,710

Where Rhode Island Sits Against Comparable States

Rankings matter more than raw percentages, because a rate only means something next to the alternatives. The Rhode Island Powerball tax calculator puts Rhode Island at rank 14 of 46. The jurisdictions closest to Rhode Island on rate are below, each with its own calculator page and its own cash-value math.

JurisdictionState rateTake-home on $277 Million
Rhode Island (this page)5.99%$158,131,710
New Mexico5.9%$158,381,280
Idaho5.8%$158,658,580
Virginia5.75%$158,797,230
South Carolina6.4%$156,994,780
West Virginia6.5%$156,717,480

For the two ends of the range, compare New York at 10.9% against the zero-tax group: California, Delaware, Florida, New Hampshire, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Washington, Wyoming. The lightest state tax that still exists belongs to Arizona at 2.5%. The midpoint among taxing jurisdictions is about 5%.

The 30-Payment Annuity for a Rhode Island Winner

Taking the annuity instead of the cash gives 30 graduated payments over 29 years. In Rhode Island that path is estimated at $363,465,444 after tax, against $158,131,710 for the lump sum. The payments grow every year, which is why the final payment dwarfs the first, and why each year's tax bill is smaller and more manageable than one enormous event.

Payment yearGross paymentTax estimateRhode Island take-home
Year 1$9,558,300$4,066,133$5,492,167
Year 10$14,831,190$6,332,949$8,498,241
Year 20$24,161,610$10,344,096$13,817,514
Year 30$39,366,270$16,880,580$22,485,690

The choice is not only arithmetic. It is control, spending discipline, estate planning, privacy, inflation, and future tax law. A Rhode Island winner has one extra consideration: 5.99% is applied to every payment across 29 years, so a state rate change during the schedule affects the annuity in a way it can never affect a lump sum already paid.

Rhode Island Rules That Change Your Answer

Timing comes first. Rhode Island Powerball ticket sales close at 9:45 PM ET on Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday draw days, ahead of the 10:59 PM ET drawing. Buy after 9:45 PM ET and the ticket is entered in the next drawing, not the one that night. That is a Rhode Island detail, not a national one — cutoffs run from the late afternoon to 10:00 PM ET depending on the jurisdiction. Compare every state's cutoff if you play across state lines.

Residency comes second. Our state table records no separate non-resident withholding rate for Rhode Island; only Arizona and Maryland carry one. If you buy in Rhode Island but live elsewhere, confirm the withholding treatment with the Rhode Island lottery before you claim rather than assuming this calculator covers it. Buying in one state and living in another is the single most common reason a real tax bill differs from a calculator estimate.

Filing status comes third. This Rhode Island Powerball tax calculator models a single filer with no other income and no deductions, which is the cleanest baseline but almost nobody's actual return. Other income, a spouse, a trust, a lottery pool split across several people, or charitable giving in the year of the claim all move the federal number. The Rhode Island state line is comparatively stable; the federal line is where your personal facts do the work.

Before You Claim in Rhode Island

Sign the ticket, photograph both sides, and store the original somewhere secure. Confirm the Rhode Island claim deadline with the official lottery rather than relying on any third party, this site included. Then assemble the team before the claim, not after: a CPA who has handled a large windfall, a tax attorney, an estate attorney, and a fiduciary financial planner. Keep enough of the first payment liquid to cover the additional federal tax due at filing — for this cash value that is $36,006,020, and it is the bill people forget.

Do not post the ticket online. Do not promise money to anyone before your advisers explain the gift-tax and pooling consequences. The Rhode Island Powerball tax calculator on this page is a planning estimate built from published rates; it is not tax advice, and it cannot know your situation. Use it to size the problem, then hire people to solve it.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the Rhode Island tax rate on Powerball winnings?

Rhode Island applies an estimated 5.99%, which ranks 14 of the 46 participating jurisdictions.

How much is the Rhode Island take-home on the current jackpot?

On the $277,300,000 cash value, the Rhode Island lump-sum estimate is $158,131,710 — an effective rate of 42.97%.

Are these Rhode Island numbers exact?

No. They use the 2026 federal single-filer brackets and Rhode Island's published rate. Your final tax depends on your other income, filing status, and deductions.

What time do Rhode Island Powerball sales close?

9:45 PM ET on draw days, ahead of the 10:59 PM ET drawing.

Can I compare Rhode Island with other states?

Yes. The main Powerball tax calculator lists all 46 jurisdictions with take-home for each, and jackpot analysis ranks them.

Related Rhode Island Pages