Ohio lottery winner to share winnings

May 11, 2006, 11:45 am (11 comments)

Ohio Lottery

When asked how often he played the Ohio Lottery, Middletonian Bass Brandenburg let his wife, Virginia, answer that question.

"How often does the sun shine?" she replied.

The sun came out in a big way for the Brandenburgs this week. The couple bet their bottom $10 on the $200 Million Cash Spectacular instant game and came up winners of $1 million — or so the scratch-off ticket read.

Eighty-year-old Bass Brandenburg thought he may not have a lot of time to enjoy that money, so he opted to take the cash up front.

The Ohio Lottery Commission invests $500,000 to fund the $1 million prize, so the lottery distributes only $500,000 under the cash option, said Sandra Neal, a lottery spokeswoman. After federal and state taxes, $345,000 is left.

Had Brandenburg opted for installment payments, he would have received $50,000 a year for 20 years, before taxes.

But even with only about 35 percent to keep, "spending $10 and getting $345,000 is still pretty good to me," he said.

The object of the $200 Million Cash Spectacular is to match sets of numbers. When Brandenburg scratched off two 24s, he asked the clerk at D's Market on 416 S. Sutphin St. what he won.

The clerk told Brandenburg, "Bass, you've got to be the coolest person I ever saw in my life who just won $1 million."

Brandenburg plans to divvy the money among his seven children.

"When you've worked all your life and you've got what you wanted, you give the kids a certain amount of money," said Brandenburg, who spent 25 years as a custodian at Vail Middle School before retiring in 1994.

Not that other people aren't interested in the money, too.

When Brandenburg told his family doctor of his fortune, the doctor replied, "You don't have seven children, you have eight!"

The Brandenburgs' daughter, Kathy Lykins, one of the eventual recipients of the money, said "I'm just glad he's been playing the lottery."

D's Market will receive a $10,000 bonus for selling the winning ticket, Neal said.

Brandenburg is Middletown's second lottery winner in as many months. Cheryl Million claimed a $25,000 prize in the instant Lucky Fortune game in March.

Middletown Journal

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bellyache's avatarbellyache

If I was eighty, I would probably take the cash option too. Big Smile

CASH Only

If I was eighty, I would probably take the cash option too. Big Smile

NY scratch winners of annuity prizes (including the four versions of Debt for Life) DO NOT have a cash option. Its Lot O' Play is faulty, but Ohio has a better lottery than NY.

Ineverwin

ENOUGH ABOUT OHIO WINNERS ALREADY!!!

mylollipop's avatarmylollipop

HyperCoNgRats!!!!

fxdwg's avatarfxdwg

NY scratch winners of annuity prizes (including the four versions of Debt for Life) DO NOT have a cash option. Its Lot O' Play is faulty, but Ohio has a better lottery than NY

Cash Only

 

 a simple solution if you don't like it..... don't play it

justxploring's avatarjustxploring

If I was eighty, I would probably take the cash option too. Big Smile

I'd take the cash anyway.  Congrats to the winner! 

savagegoose's avatarsavagegoose

you know for a super big pot i wouldnt care if i took annuity or not. i mean say its $10 mill a year for 25 years?

if you blow your 1st years 10 mill u know you had better learn to manage money on year 2.

 

you still 24 years to go to learn., if oyu take lump sum and blow it, thats it its gone!

i think if i got 10 mill anuity id still have a few mill left in bank at end of year. 

gy65

"After federal and state taxes, $345,000 is left."

Wonder how they calculated that amount?

Federal . . "$97,653.00 plus 35% of the amount over 336,550"

Ohio . .  "$11,022.90 plus 7.185% of excess or more than $200,000"

A $312,560 balance seems more in the ballpark.

KY Floyd's avatarKY Floyd

"After federal and state taxes, $345,000 is left."

Wonder how they calculated that amount?

Federal . . "$97,653.00 plus 35% of the amount over 336,550"

Ohio . .  "$11,022.90 plus 7.185% of excess or more than $200,000"

A $312,560 balance seems more in the ballpark.

In the entire history of the lottery there has never been a news article that reported the amount left after taxes. News articles report the amount after the withholdings required by state and federal law.  State laws vary, but the federal withholding requirement is 25%. If a winner doesn't want all of the money they can always make charitable donations and they'll only owe taxes on the remainder. Charitable donations are certainly a good thing, but they reduce what a winner actually ends up with, so a good rule of thumb to figure how much a winner could net is to assume they'll keep the money and that their deductions will be about what they were the previous year. That means all of the winnings will be taxed and they'll owe more money when April 15th  rolls around the following year. I also assume that most people will have other taxable income and that all of  their prize will be taxed at the highest rate. I'm in New York, so I figure I'd net 58% of a big cash prize. The actual taxes would be a bit lower, so  that's just a little bonus when it's time to file the return.

CASH Only

"After federal and state taxes, $345,000 is left."

Wonder how they calculated that amount?

Federal . . "$97,653.00 plus 35% of the amount over 336,550"

Ohio . .  "$11,022.90 plus 7.185% of excess or more than $200,000"

A $312,560 balance seems more in the ballpark.

In the entire history of the lottery there has never been a news article that reported the amount left after taxes. News articles report the amount after the withholdings required by state and federal law.  State laws vary, but the federal withholding requirement is 25%. If a winner doesn't want all of the money they can always make charitable donations and they'll only owe taxes on the remainder. Charitable donations are certainly a good thing, but they reduce what a winner actually ends up with, so a good rule of thumb to figure how much a winner could net is to assume they'll keep the money and that their deductions will be about what they were the previous year. That means all of the winnings will be taxed and they'll owe more money when April 15th  rolls around the following year. I also assume that most people will have other taxable income and that all of  their prize will be taxed at the highest rate. I'm in New York, so I figure I'd net 58% of a big cash prize. The actual taxes would be a bit lower, so  that's just a little bonus when it's time to file the return.

All of NY's "million-dollar" scratches (and four versions of Debt for Life) are annuity-only. The only "big game" worth playing in NY state is Mega Millions.

KY Floyd's avatarKY Floyd

"After federal and state taxes, $345,000 is left."

Wonder how they calculated that amount?

Federal . . "$97,653.00 plus 35% of the amount over 336,550"

Ohio . .  "$11,022.90 plus 7.185% of excess or more than $200,000"

A $312,560 balance seems more in the ballpark.

In the entire history of the lottery there has never been a news article that reported the amount left after taxes. News articles report the amount after the withholdings required by state and federal law.  State laws vary, but the federal withholding requirement is 25%. If a winner doesn't want all of the money they can always make charitable donations and they'll only owe taxes on the remainder. Charitable donations are certainly a good thing, but they reduce what a winner actually ends up with, so a good rule of thumb to figure how much a winner could net is to assume they'll keep the money and that their deductions will be about what they were the previous year. That means all of the winnings will be taxed and they'll owe more money when April 15th  rolls around the following year. I also assume that most people will have other taxable income and that all of  their prize will be taxed at the highest rate. I'm in New York, so I figure I'd net 58% of a big cash prize. The actual taxes would be a bit lower, so  that's just a little bonus when it's time to file the return.

All of NY's "million-dollar" scratches (and four versions of Debt for Life) are annuity-only. The only "big game" worth playing in NY state is Mega Millions.

There was nothing in my post that you needed to quote. Your psychosis is obviously thriving all on its own, so don't let it make you think anyone else is involved.

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