Kansas lawmakers continue discussion on eliminating food sales tax

WICHITA, Kan. (KWCH) - Eliminating the grocery sales tax in Kansas is still up for discussion in Topeka. A proposed bill would eliminate the state’s grocery sales tax in 2025. It continues moving along in the legislature.

The proposal specifically would decrease the state’s current 6.5 percent food sales tax to 4 percent on Jan. 1 of next year, would reduce to 2 percent in 2024 and to zero (eliminated) in 2025).

Thursday night, a Kansas House and Senate conference committee agree to disagree on the bill that would eliminate the state’s grocery sales tax by 2025. While there is broad support from both parties for cutting Kansas’ food sales tax n issue is timing.

“Since the legislature did not accomplish the reduction to zero on the grocery sales tax early in the session, starting [July 1], is just not feasible,” Sen. Virgil Peck, R-Wichita, explained. “It takes a while. “We’re told it takes at least 90 days for the department of revenue and for merchants to get everything ready to go for such a substantial tax change.”

If the bill passes, it would man an average family that spends $7,200 each year on grocers would no longer have to pay the nearly $500 in taxes on those grocers.

Proposed legislation on Kansas’ food sales tax still needs to move through both the House and Senate before it would reach Kansas Governor Laura Kelly’s desk for final approval, becoming law.