Kansas is getting rid of its state food sales tax on groceries. Governor Laura Kelly signed a bill Wednesday which will eliminate the state’s more than six-percent food sales tax by 2025.

 According to the Governor’s Office, cutting the food tax will provide Kansans with much-needed fiscal relief, especially as costs continue to rise. This new law will completely eliminate the food sales tax by 2025.

“When Kansans needed it most, we were able to bring Democrats and Republicans together to eliminate our state’s tax on groceries,” Governor Laura Kelly said. “Because we saved for our collective future, we can now responsibly axe the food tax – all while boosting funding to Kansas schools, roads, and law enforcement.”

Passing the law will help Kansans save money, keep Kansas dollars in Kansas, and make the state more competitive with its neighbors.

Currently, Kansans pay more for groceries than people in almost every other state due to the 6.5% state sales tax on groceries. Governor Kelly has called on the Kansas Legislature to fully implement the elimination of the state sales tax on July 1 of this year, so that the benefits of the state’s strong economic growth under Governor Kelly can be passed on to the people of Kansas immediately.

Kansas uses the same definitions for groceries as 23 other states. Since many of the stores in Kansas have checkout systems used by vendors in other states with lower state sales taxes on groceries, immediate relief is possible.

Starting in January, the tax will fall to four percent, and it will lower to two percent in 2024 before it drops to zero the following year.

_ _ _

Photo courtesy Kansas Governor’s Office