Axe the Food Tax plan could be delayed

WICHITA, Kan. (KWCH) - It has been more than a month into the legislative session in Topeka, and there could be some movement on the proposal to eliminate Kansas’ food sales tax. However, it still may not take effect for another two years.

Kansas’s food sales tax is currently the second-highest in the nation. In November, Governor Laura Kelly announced her plans to ‘Axe the Food Tax.’ The project garnered support from Democrats and Republicans. It would have lowered the food sales tax in Kansas from 6.5% to zero. Governor Kelly said that if the bill were passed, it would go into effect as early as this July.

However, recently a Senate committee unanimously passed a bill that would cut the food sales tax that wouldn’t go into effect till 2024. The Kansas legislature has been in session since early January. After a month and a half of work, senators may finally vote on a bill to repeal the sales tax later this week. House Minority Leader Tom Sawyer said the delay in seeing a vote on this issue is caused by several different versions of the bill that have been introduced.

“I think the chairman is trying to work through some of the differences in the bills, and we’ll see what comes out of it,” said Sawyer.

Regardless of the approved bill stating the tax cut would not go into effect for two more years. House Democrats are still pushing for the tax break to be in place by this summer.

“I’m still hopeful we can get it done by July 1st. If we can get it done by the first of many, we could get it in place by July 1st. And I am also still hopeful that we can get it to zero. Some of the bills take it to 3.5% or phase it out. I’m still hopeful we can get it to zero by July,” Sawyer said.

Copyright 2022 KWCH. All rights reserved.