The deeply rooted custom in our nation of sharing tenths of Christmas Lottery with family, friends or work colleagues can become a generous gesture which, unfortunately, sometimes becomes complicated when it comes to claiming one of the grand prizes of the … share.
The Organization of Consumers and Users (OCU) has shared a series of useful tips to avoid the joy of owning the winning number becomes a problem. These recommendations are intended to avoid possible complications during the award ceremony and to ensure a positive experience for everyone involved in this Christmas tradition.
To begin with, it is crucial to understand that the lottery ticket is the document that authorizes its holder to claim the prize. If sharing, it is advisable that each person has a signed copy which includes their name, identification number and details the amount of each person’s contribution, relative to the original ticket holder.
What to know if you share a tenth of the Christmas lottery
Use a photo of shared ticket sent by email or via WhatsApp can also serve as proof that the tenth has been shared, provided that it contains the information of the original holder, the participants involved and the precision of the participation of each of them.
As long as the reward is less than 2,000 euros, it can be collected directly from any location. lottery administrationalthough for those who make the purchase online, the amount will be credited directly to their bank account. For higher prices it is necessary to contact a collaborating banking entity, but under no circumstances will this be able to charge commission or interest for collecting the money.
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Always keep tenths and make copies on the front and back. If it is shared, it must be recorded in writing or by WhatsApp, but it must contain the complete participation data of each participant (identification, series, number, etc.)
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If lost or stolen, file a report with the police and the State Lottery and Gambling Office.
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In the event of damage, it must be sent to the Société Nationale des Lotteries and Paris. For more serious cases, these will be determined by the National Mint and Stamp Factory.
It is not advisable to collect the entire amount without first identifying the other participants, because when distributing it it may appear that it is a donation, which would require payment of the gift tax. The OCU recommends identifying each winner and their participation percentage before collecting the prize, the margin of which is three months from the draw.
Furthermore, it must be taken into account that Tax authorities automatically retains 20% of the part of the prize which exceeds the exempt minimum of 40,000 euros per tenth, and not for each winner. In other words, the tax is deducted and then the net amount is distributed among the participants.