Kansas State Tax Guide
State tax rates and rules for income, sales, property, fuel, cigarette, and other taxes that impact Kansas residents.
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Bottom Line
Middle-Class Families: Least Tax-Friendly (Go to the Kiplinger Tax Map for Middle-Class Families)
Retirees: Least Tax-Friendly (Go to the Kiplinger Tax Map for Retirees)
Most people don't think of the farm belt as a high-tax area, but that's the case with a few states in the area — such as Kansas. Sales tax is the main culprit behind the Sunflower State's poor (from a taxpayer standpoint) showing. According to the Tax Foundation, it has the ninth-highest combined sales tax rate in the country.

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The news doesn't get much better when it comes to income taxes, which are typically above average for most residents. Plus, hundreds of local governments in Kansas also impose a tax on interest, dividends, and other earnings from intangible property.
Property taxes and fuel taxes are above the national average as well.
Kansas Income Taxes
Kansas Income Tax Range
Low: 3.1% (on taxable income from $2,501 to $15,000 for single filers and from $5,001 to $30,000 for joint filers)
High: 5.7% (on more than $30,000 of taxable income for single filers and more than $60,000 for joint filers).
Kansas also has an "intangibles tax" levied on unearned income by some localities.
Kansas Taxation of Social Security Benefits
Social Security benefits are exempt from Kansas income tax for residents with a federal adjusted gross income of $75,000 or less. For taxpayers with a federal AGI above $75,000, Social Security benefits are taxed by Kansas to the same extent they are taxed at the federal level.
Kansas Tax Breaks for Other Retirement Income
Income from federal government, designated Kansas state and local government, and military retirement plans is exempt.
Railroad Retirement benefits are also exempt.
Kansas Sales Tax
6.5% state levy. Localities can add as much as 4.25%, and the average combined rate is 8.71%, according to the Tax Foundation.
- Groceries: Taxable
- Clothing: Taxable
- Motor Vehicles: Taxable
- Prescription Drugs: Exempt
NOTE: The state sales tax on groceries is reduced to 4% in 2023, 2% in 2024, and 0% in 2025 and thereafter. Local taxes on groceries will still apply.
Kansas Real Property Taxes
In Kansas, the median property tax rate is $1,330 per $100,000 of assessed home value.
Kansas Property Tax Breaks for Retirees
Kansas offers three programs to reduce the property tax burden on seniors (claiming one may prevent you from claiming another). First, for claims in 2023, homeowners 55 and older who earn $37,750 or less in 2022 are eligible for a refund of up to $700 under the Homestead Property Tax Refund Act (50% of Social Security benefits can be excluded from income for the purposes of qualifying for this program).
Second, beginning in 2022, a separate refund is available for homeowners 65 and older with a household income of $50,000 or less (adjusted annually for inflation). The appraised value of the home cannot exceed $350,000. The refund is equal to the amount that the homeowner's current property tax exceeds the property tax in his or her "base year" (i.e., the year in which the homeowner becomes eligible for a refund or 2021, whichever is later).
Third, the Safe Senior tax credit is available for homeowners 65 or older with household income of $22,000 or less in 2022. The refund is 75% of the property taxes paid. The appraised value of the home cannot exceed $350,000.
Kansas Motor Fuel Taxes
Gasoline: 24.03¢ per gallon (varies by county).
Diesel: 26.03¢ per gallon (varies by county).
Kansas Sin Taxes
Cigarettes: $1.29
All other tobacco products: 10% of the wholesale price
Vapor products: $0.05 per ml
Beer: $0.18 per gallon
Wine: $0.30 per gallon, $0.75 per gallon if above 14% alcohol by volume (above 16% alcohol by volume beginning in 2023)
Liquor: $2.50 per gallon
In lieu of state sales tax, an 8% "liquor enforcement tax" is charged on off-premises sales of alcoholic beverages.
Kansas Estate and Inheritance Taxes
No estate or inheritance tax.
Rocky was a Senior Tax Editor for Kiplinger from October 2018 to January 2023. He has more than 20 years of experience covering federal and state tax developments. Before coming to Kiplinger, he worked for Wolters Kluwer Tax & Accounting and Kleinrock Publishing, where he provided breaking news and guidance for CPAs, tax attorneys, and other tax professionals. He has also been quoted as an expert by USA Today, Forbes, U.S. News & World Report, Reuters, Accounting Today, and other media outlets. Rocky has a law degree from the University of Connecticut and a B.A. in History from Salisbury University.
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