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Taxes & Finance
Let’s face it: no one gets excited about paying taxes. Whether the taxes are paid at the point-of-sale or levied annually, the process can sometimes feel onerous and confusing. However, paying your taxes is more than just your civic duty; it is also a way to invest in our communities.
Government entities use tax dollars to provide critical public services and to improve our collective quality of life. Taxes go towards developing and maintaining infrastructure, supporting first responder services (law enforcement and fire departments), creating parks, and building libraries.
Important Note: The information contained on this page is a sampling of some of the most common tax obligations that citizens or businesses might pay in Kansas. It is not intended to represent the entirety of the potential tax obligations that might apply to you. It is also important to note that nothing on this page should be interpreted as providing tax advice. If you have questions or need guidance, you should consult a licensed tax professional or the Kansas tax code.
Oversight and Regulation
The responsibility for collecting and allocating your tax dollars is primarily assigned to the following entities:
Oversight and regulation of financial services rests with:
- Kansas Insurance Commissioner – Securities Division
- Office of the State Bank Commissioner
- Kansas State Treasurer
Each entity owns a unique piece of the puzzle and manages different aspects of compliance, regulation, planning, and oversight for their areas of specialization.
Personal Taxes
Personal taxes are tax obligations that an individual pays. They are separate from taxes that might be paid for commercial, corporate, or business purposes.
In Kansas, some of the most common personal taxes that are collected include:
In Kansas, some of the most common personal taxes that are collected include:
- Individual Income Tax
- Property Tax
- Consumers' Compensating Use Tax
- Fiduciary Tax
- Intangibles
When most of us think of “personal taxes,” we think of income tax. These are taxes that are paid based on wages and income earned. There are actually several types of income taxes. Individual Income Taxes are paid to both the state and federal government. In Kansas, you can file your individual income taxes online using Kansas WebFile. WebFile is a fast, free, and secure way to file simple state income tax returns.
Another form of income tax is referred to as “intangibles.” The intangibles tax is a local tax levied on gross earnings received from intangible property such as savings accounts, stocks, bonds, accounts receivable, and mortgages. Fiduciary taxes are due if a resident estate or trust had any taxable income and/or if there is withholding tax due for the nonresident beneficiaries. The fiduciary of a nonresident estate or trust must file a Kansas Fiduciary Income Tax return if the estate or trust had taxable income or gain derived from Kansas sources.
Personal property taxes are paid on “real and tangible property” that you own: homes, vehicles, boats, hot air balloons, etc. The Kansas Department of Revenue publishes a “Personal Property Guide” that can help you make sense of what qualifies and how it is taxed. In certain instances, the KDOR enlists the Kansas County Treasurers to act as tax collection agents. Certain counties require property tax payments to be made in-person or via mail. Over 70 Kansas counties also allow for online payment of real estate property taxes through the Kansas Property Tax Payment service.
Consumers’ Compensating Use Tax may be unfamiliar to many Kansans. To describe it simply, this is a relatively new law that requires Kansas consumers to pay the current state sales tax rate for items purchased online or from catalogs, mail-order companies, and television, magazine or newspaper ads where no sales tax was charged at the point of purchase. You can find detailed information on Consumer’s Compensating Use Tax payments by visiting the Kansas Department of Revenue’s website.
Business Taxes
In recent years, KDOR has been focused on making payment of business taxes as fast and efficient as possible. Through the creation of the Kansas Department of Revenue’s Customer Service Center, managing your tax accounts has never been easier!
The Customer Service Center allows users to compile all of their business tax and individual income tax accounts into one profile. After registering and creating an account, users can organize their account directory by entering the Employer Identification Number (EIN), Social Security Number (SSN) or license number and the assigned Access Code related to each tax type.
Currently, the following tax types can be managed through a Customer Service Center account:
- ABC Distributors
- Charitable Gaming
- Cigarette and Tobacco
- Consumer's Compensating Use
- Corporate Income
- Dealers
- Driver's Education Portal
- IFTA
- Liquor Drink
- Liquor Enforcement
- Mineral (EFT Only)
- Motor Carrier Property Tax
- Motor Fuels (EFT Only)
- Privilege
- Retailer's Compensating Use
- Retailers' Sales
- Transient Guest
- Witholding
If your business will have employees, unemployment tax will also need to be included. The Kansas Department of Labor has a variety of resources available to assist employers. One of the first steps an employer should take is to create an account with the Kansas Department of Labor.
For information regarding the responsibilities of an employer, please download the Kansas Department of Labor’s Handbook for Employers.
Other Tax Services
Finance
There are myriad regulations when it comes to financial services — and rightly so. State government entities share the responsibility for oversight of financial services with the federal government and play a unique role in protecting consumers and taxpayers.
Administration
Banking
Insurance & Securities
Administration
The Kansas State Treasurer is entrusted with the possession of all public moneys paid to the state treasury. The Treasurer, through the Cash Management Services Division, deposits moneys in Kansas banks designated as state depositories. The State Moneys Law, K.S.A 75-4201 et seq., regulates the designation of banks that receive state accounts, the pledging of securities by these banks, and the rate of interest to be paid on deposits of state moneys.
The following financial services programs are administered by the State Treasurer:
Banking
The Office of the State Bank Commissioner regulates all state-chartered banks, trust companies, mortgage businesses, supervised lenders credit service organizations, and money transmitters that do business in the State of Kansas.
Through the OSBC’s site, Banking and Trust organizations are able to access important applications and forms, and to review relevant laws and guidance. Likewise, Mortgage, Finance, and Money Transmitting organizations are able to find forms, applications, as well as laws and guidance.
Consumers can also benefit from OSBC’s services. Protecting and educating Kansas consumers is an important part of the work that is performed by the OSBC. Consumers are able to:
- File a Complaint
- Lookup and verify the status of a company
- Access FAQs
- Perform an Open Records Request
Insurance & Securities
The Kansas Insurance Department regulates and reviews companies that sell policies in Kansas to ensure solvency and compliance with insurance and securities laws and regulations. They also have a strong focus on educating consumers by offering brochures and rate guides, and advocating for a strong and competitive market so that Kansans have choices when shopping for insurance and securities instruments.
Companies, producers, and agents can all find access to various online forms and services such as: Consumers may:
Companies, producers, and agents can all find access to various online forms and services such as: Consumers may:
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