Taxes

Over the next several months Kansas state government officials will work out a system of financial support for continuation of government services in our state striving to find a balance between government expenditures and the appropriation of funds to cover those expenditures. Most of the money collected by the state will come via taxes.

So where do your taxes come from and where do they go? The links below offer some general resources in gaining a basic understanding of the state system of taxation in Kansas:

Governor's 2011 Budget Report Overview
http://budget.ks.gov/publications/FY2011/FY2011_Overview.pdf
(A good review of state expenditures. Check out the pie chart graphics at the end of the document showing where state dollars come from and how they are spent).

Kansas Department of Revenue
http://www.ksrevenue.org/
Divided into three sections:
1)--Your Personal Taxes
2)--Your Vehicle Taxes
3)--Your Business Taxes.

A Homeowner’s Guide to Property Tax in Kansas
http://www.ksrevenue.org/pdf/forms/pvdhomeowner.pdf
(A good handbook on how property tax is figured out. FYI... Less than 1% of state funds come from property tax. These funds are used primarily by local government units).

Property Valuation: Statistics--Value, Tax and Levy
http://www.ksrevenue.org/pvdstatistics.htm
(Links to information and statistics on property valuation, mill levies, school district values, etc. with historic data)

County Tax Statistics
http://www.ksrevenue.org/PVDMap.htm
(Click on a county on the map for local statistics on taxing districts, property types/classes, per capita tax, taxable values, etc.)

38 County Government Websites
http://www.ksrevenue.org/pvdcountywebsites.htm
(Links provided by the Kansas Department of Revenue to official county websites. Some of these websites offer more information on tax collection and statistics.)

Frequently Asked Questions on Sales Tax
http://www.ksrevenue.org/salesratechanges.htm
(Includes a document on the current sales tax rates of municipalities, counties and other local government areas in Kansas. Find out what the sales tax rate is in your community here.)

Kansas Advisory Council on Intergovernmental Relations (KACIR)
http://www.ksrevenue.org/kacir.htm
("[The Council] engages in a continuous study of the services provided by the various levels of government within the state. By monitoring a wide range of governmental relations, the Council helps to promote cooperation and efficiency within government; thereby helping the leaders in Kansas work together more efficiently.")
Some online KACIR reports:
Erosion of the Property Tax Base in Kansas
Erosion of the Kansas Sales Tax Base
Local Debt Affordability in Kansas
Policy Evaluation Guide
Recommendations from KACIR (01/2010)
County Consolidation Study
Condensed Guide to Consolidation
Executive Summary Consolidation Guide

Check Out Material in Our ATLAS Online Catalog:
Property Tax--Kansas
Sales Tax--Kansas
Kansas--Budget

Article contact: Bill Sowers
(Check out recent additions to our collection here)

Kansas Sales Tax Information

Always a topic of discussion and debate localities around the state have sales tax proposals on the ballot in 2009. Listed here are some online resources on the sales tax in Kansas.

State Sales Tax Information
http://www.ksrevenue.org/bustaxtypessales.htm
(Kansas Department of Revenue)

Local Sales Tax Information
http://www.ksrevenue.org/bustaxtypessales.html
(Kansas Department of Revenue)

Sales Tax Fact Sheets

http://www.ksrevenue.org/factsheets.html

Covers the following areas:
Advertising Agency
Airports and Fixed Base Operations (FBOs)
Architectural Services
Bakeries
Banks
Beauty Salons/Barber Shops/Nail Salons
Bowling Centers
Catering and Mobile Food Services
Certified Public Accountants & Other Accounting Services
Chambers of Commerce
Construction Contractors
Convenience Stores
Custom Computer Programming Services
Diagnostic Imaging Centers
Engineering Services
Fitness Centers
Funeral Homes & Funeral Service Providers
General Automotive Repair
General Industries
Graphic Design Services
Home Centers, Hardware, Paint and Wallpaper and Building Material Stores
Hotel/Motel
Insurance Agents/Brokers
Interior Design Services
Janitorial Services
Jewelry Industries
Kennel Operators
Lawyers
Medical Offices and Clinics
Motion Picture/Drive In Movies/ Theater Companies/Dinner Theaters
Oil and Gas Well Drilling Service Providers
Optometrists/Ophthalmologists
Pest Control ServicesPhotographers
Plumbing & HVAC Contractors & Contractor-Retailers
Real Estate Agents/Brokers/Property Management Firms
Restaurants
Retail Stores
Sign Companies
Specialty Therapists
Tanning Salon
Taverns and Bars
Telephone Answering Service Provider
Testing Laboratories
Travel Agencies/Travel Agents
Vending Companies
Veterinarians
Video Rental
Weight Control Services

Kansas Sales Tax and Compensating Use Tax
http://www.ksrevenue.org/pdf/pub1510.pdf
(A good handbook for businesses in Kansas from the Kansas Dept. of Revenue)

Kansas Office of Local Government publications
http://www.oznet.ksu.edu/olg/publications/
(The Office of Local Government provides educational outreach, technical assistance, applied research, and information and referral services to city and county governments, local organizations, the county Extension network and citizens throughout Kansas. Among the publications are the 2008 Situation & Trends County Data Reports and 2008 Kansas County Fiscal Conditions and Trends)

Check out the tax climate for Kansas at The Tax Foundation’s website:
http://www.taxfoundation.org/research/topic/29.html

Kansas Sunshine Review
http://sunshinereview.org/index.php/Kansas
(A nonprofit wiki covering U.S. state and local government. Includes some tax information)

Only thing certain in life is...

It’s that time of year again, time to file and smile. The Kansas Department of Revenue has many resources that make filing your taxes easy and simple. Use this list as an easy site navigation tool:

Do you need the forms for filing Kansas State income tax? Go to http://www.ksrevenue.org/forms-perstax.htm for printable forms

Have questions that the forms aren’t explaining? Try looking through the FAQ from the Department of Revenue at
http://www.ksrevenue.org/faqs.htm

Don’t want to have to mess with paper forms? Try filing online at https://www.kdor.org/TaxCenter/login.aspx?ReturnUrl=%2fTaxCenter%2fsecure%2fDefault.aspx. If you’ve never filed online before, you’ll need to register and login.


Still a little dizzy looking at tax forms? Need help but can’t afford a professional tax preparer? Try calling the Volunteer Tax Preparation Sites (1-800-829-1040), to find out where you can get help near you.

Resources for sales and other types of taxes:
A list of Kansas cities and their sales tax rates: http://www.ksrevenue.org/pdf/forms/pub1700409.pdf

A list of types of Kansas Taxes and links to resources:
http://www.ksrevenue.org/perstaxtypes.htm

Current tax rates for state taxes:
http://www.ksrevenue.org/pdf/TaxRates.pdf

Have you checked to see if any tax credits apply to you? Take a look at
http://www.ksrevenue.org/taxcredits.htm

Do you want to try using computer software to fill out your forms? Here’s the list of Department of Revenue’s approved software:
http://www.ksrevenue.org/pdf/appvendors.pdf

Do you need to pay in installments? See the requirements for setting up a pay plan with the Department of Revenue at http://www.ksrevenue.org/payplanind.htm

The Governor's Budget

Last night, January 12th, Governor Sebelius gave her State of the State Address. This is a speech in which the governor details the current state of affairs to the state legislature as well as discussing her ideas for the state budget. The Governor's budget is a report that details where state funding comes from, the governor's goals for the following year, what each state agency has previously received and should receive as funding from your state taxes. Governor Sebelius is releasing her published State Budget today, January 13th at 10:00 am. See the resources below to find out more about state appropriations and financing and how your tax dollars are being used:

Full text of the Governor's State of the State Address:
http://www.governor.ks.gov/news/sp-stateofstate2009.htm

Full text of the Governor's Budget will be at:
http://budget.ks.gov/gbr.htm

Governor's homepage:
http://www.governor.ks.gov/

As the Legislature works the state appropriations, you can find out details at http://skyways.lib.ks.us/ksleg/KLRD/Appropriations.html

Information on current state revenues:
http://skyways.lib.ks.us/ksleg/KLRD/Revenue&Tax.htm

Review audits of current state agency functions at:
http://www.kslegislature.org/postaudit/

To tell your legislator your thoughts on the Governor's Budget call the legislative hotline at 1-800-432-3924 and the staff there can relay your message to your legislator. Your representative's or senator's emails will be available at www.kslegislature.org shortly. If needed, you can find out who your legislator is at http://www.kslegislature.org/legsrv-legisportal/redistricting.do