Coffee addict:
1. The “half” is if you choose the lump sum, which is roughly half of the amount paid if you wait 20 years to get it all.
2. In some years, you can donate the entire amount to charity and avoid all taxes, though usually there is roughly a 50% (or your income) cap on how much you can give away. Sometimes the government suspends the cap and you can donate your entire income to charity and thereby avoid paying income tax.