Mega Millions jackpot hits $540 million for Friday drawing

SEATTLE — The Mega Millions jackpot is at $540 million after no one matched all the numbers in Tuesday's drawing.

After Friday night's drawing, the winning numbers were 8, 19, 20, 55, 73 and Mega Ball 5.

If you are testing your luck, the customers at the 7-Eleven store on the 9200 block of 35th Avenue in Seattle, says it might as well be here.

"I haven't bought a ticket in like six years," says Sara Enlow. "Somebody from Washington won once before so I thought why not me?"
 
This 7-Eleven was where someone hit the last Mega-Millions jackpot worth $157 million.
 
Today, this jackpot is worth $540 million dollars. But even if you win, tax experts say, don't expect to cash out that entire amount and run.
 
Joel Reyes, who runs a tax and insurance business in West Seattle, says if a customer comes in telling him they just won a Mega Millions jackpot, he would advise against taking the lump sum. Reyes says the IRS takes up to 39 percent in federal taxes.
 
"I would take the prize in small payments," Reyes says. "With multiple payments, you pay less taxes."
         
When asked what he would do, Reyes says he would take the lump sum and walk away with around $380 million instead of the full jackpot.
 
"You don't know what's going to happen tomorrow, you got to live day by day," Reyes says.
 
Back at the 7-Eleven in West Seattle, customers buying Mega Millions tickets say ditching a few dollars for tickets now is worth paying millions in taxes later.
 
"You just don't think about it, don't think about it. That's my thing," says Enlow, who bought $8 worth of tickets.
 
For Micha Bondham, it doesn't matter, she's just looking to win whatever she can get.

"Even if I get a couple of thousand dollars, I would be jumping up and down," Bondham says.

Fortunately for Washington residents, Washington is one of seven states taking part in Mega Millions that do not have personal income tax.

Cox Media Group