Kansas collects $176.3M more than expected in April taxes

TOPEKA — Kansas tax collections for April exceeded forecasts by $176.3 million, the state announced Monday.

The surplus mostly came from high-than-expected individual income tax returns, which beat revenue projections. Those projections had just been adjusted April 20 by $178 million. The roughly $1 billion collected in individual income taxes was more than double the $487 million collected in April 2021.

Gov. Laura Kelly said the revenue figures indicate the state can afford to immediately begin to reduce the 6.5% state sales tax on food. Previously, she said she will sign legislation passed last week that would lower the tax rate in January and phase it out completely by 2025.

“These tax collection receipts reiterate the state’s fiscal health, and clearly shows we can afford to move up the ‘axe the food tax’ implementation date to July 1 of this year,” Kelly said. “I’m calling on the Kansas Legislature to do so as soon as they come back later this month.”

The Legislature is scheduled to return May 23.

Retail sales tax collections also exceeded revenue projections by $8.7 million, while other streams of revenue fell short of the estimate — including the compensating use tax paid by out-of-state retailers, which came up $7.5 million short.

Liquor, gas and oil excise taxes were down a combined $2.3 million from the estimate. Agency earnings were down an additional $2.3 million.