Kansas Income Tax Guide: Rates, Brackets & Deductions for 2026

Kansas has progressive income tax rates — but the bracket structure changed with 2024 tax reform legislation (SB 519), and this guide’s figures should be treated as approximate pending direct confirmation from the Kansas Department of Revenue.

Important accuracy note: During this review, a Tax Foundation summary indicated Kansas’s current top rate may be closer to 5.58% (down from a previously cited 5.7%), reflecting bracket consolidation from three brackets to two under 2024 legislation. The bracket table below reflects this site’s prior (pre-reform) figures. Confirm the current bracket structure directly with the Kansas Department of Revenue before using these numbers for tax planning — do not treat the numbers below as verified for 2026.

Kansas Income Tax Rates — Confirm Current Structure

The table below reflects the last structure this guide used prior to this review. It has not been independently confirmed against Kansas’s 2024 tax reform (SB 519), which consolidated Kansas’s brackets. Confirm current rates and thresholds at ksrevenue.gov before relying on these figures.

Single Filers (Unconfirmed — Confirm Current Structure)

Married Filing Jointly (Unconfirmed — Confirm Current Structure)

Kansas Standard Deduction

Confirm the current-year standard deduction amounts by filing status with the Kansas Department of Revenue, as Kansas uses its own deduction amounts (not matching federal) and these were not independently re-verified this session.

Kansas Retirement Income

Social Security

Kansas has historically used an AGI-based threshold to determine whether Social Security is taxable (fully exempt below the threshold, fully taxable above it, with no partial phase-in). Confirm the current threshold with the Kansas Department of Revenue, as this has been a subject of recent legislative attention and may have changed.

Pension Income

What Income is Taxed in Kansas?

Taxed:

• Wages and salaries
• Self-employment income
• Interest and dividends
• Capital gains (taxed as ordinary income)
• Private pension income
• 401(k)/IRA distributions
• Social Security above the exemption threshold (confirm current threshold)

Not taxed or exempt:

• Social Security below the exemption threshold (confirm current threshold)
• Kansas/local government pensions (historically)
• Federal government pensions (historically)
• Military retirement (historically)
• Kansas municipal bond interest

Kansas vs. Neighboring States

Filing Kansas State Taxes

Kansas Sales Tax

Confirm the current state and combined local sales tax rates with the Kansas Department of Revenue, as these were not independently re-verified this session. Kansas has historically had relatively high combined sales tax rates, and groceries have historically been taxed, though the state has phased down the grocery sales tax rate in recent years — confirm the current grocery tax rate.

Kansas Property Tax

Confirm the current average effective property tax rate with the Tax Foundation or Kansas Department of Revenue, as this figure was not independently re-verified this session.

Reducing Kansas Taxes

1. Confirm the current Social Security exemption threshold — this has been a focus of recent Kansas tax legislation
2. Public pension income — historically fully exempt
3. Military retirement — historically fully exempt
4. Max 401(k)/IRA contributions — reduces taxable income
5. Itemize if beneficial — compare to the current standard deduction
6. Kansas tax credits — confirm current credits available, such as any food sales tax credit

Kansas Tax Authority

Kansas Department of Revenue

• Website: ksrevenue.gov
• Phone: 785-368-8222
• For refunds, returns, and questions

Bottom Line

Kansas has a progressive income tax, but the exact bracket structure changed with 2024 legislation (SB 519) that consolidated the state’s brackets, and this guide’s specific rate figures could not be independently confirmed against the current-year structure this session. Confirm exact current brackets, thresholds, and the Social Security exemption rule directly with the Kansas Department of Revenue before using any specific number for tax planning.

For a side-by-side comparison of every state’s income tax rates, see state income tax rates by state 2026 and best and worst states for taxes 2026. Federal income tax applies on top of state taxes — see 2026 federal income tax brackets to calculate your combined liability.

Written by WealthVieu

WealthVieu researches and writes data-driven personal finance guides using primary sources including the IRS, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Federal Reserve, and Census Bureau.