"I won 20 million euros in the lottery and this is how much tax I paid on it"

Winning at games of chance allows you to enter a new financial dimension... but what does it look like in the eyes of the taxman?

It's every French person's dream. Match five correct numbers and the additional "lucky" number to win the jackpot. Every year, 27 million people play the lottery in France, cherishing the sweet hope of winning the jackpot, whether it's a few million or tens of millions of euros. Thirty-one players experienced this leap into a new world where finances are no longer an issue in 2024. For them, it was a big leap!

In 2025, several large jackpots have already been put into play and won, the prize however going to the European cousin of the Lotto, the Euromillions, which allowed an Irish player to win 250 million euros in June 2025, followed by an Austrian with 243 million won in March.

And in France? A family from Côtes d'Armor won the lottery jackpot on April 23, pocketing €12 million. Transfers with so many zeros in the bank account generally only happen once in a lifetime. A financial and fiscal watershed?

This is one of the main questions when you win the lottery or the EuroMillions: how much do you have to pay in taxes after receiving such a sum? Especially since at a time when taxes are about to increase for the largest assets, this can worry or even frighten the lucky winners.

However, as with everything related to money received during the year, there are indeed provisions regarding winnings from the lottery or any other game of chance. The Directorate General of Public Finance is very clear on the subject, perhaps to the great surprise of the winners: there is no tax to pay on the winnings recorded thanks to the winning ticket. Not a single cent of social security contributions or income tax must be paid to the Treasury. The amount exactly as mentioned arrives in the bank account.

On the other hand, like any taxpayer, the new millionaire thanks to the lottery or the Euromillions naturally pays taxes on the financial investments he makes and the amount of his tax bill therefore depends on his various investments.