KANSAS PAYCHECK CALCULATOR
Kansas runs one of the simplest state income tax systems in the country these days: just two brackets, 5.2% and 5.58%, after a 2024 reform stripped out a third bracket and folded the lowest rate away entirely. What makes an even bigger difference on a real paycheck is the personal exemption, which jumped from $2,250 to $9,160 for single filers in that same reform, so a chunk of everyone’s income now escapes state tax before the brackets even apply.
A Kansas paycheck has four things coming out of it: federal income tax, the state’s two-tier tax, Social Security, and Medicare. That’s it, there’s no city or county income tax anywhere in the state, and no state disability or paid leave premium either. If you’re comparing Kansas against a neighboring state or a possible move, it helps to line the numbers up directly, such as the Missouri paycheck calculator, the Nebraska paycheck calculator, the Oklahoma paycheck calculator, or the Colorado paycheck calculator.
Estimate Your Kansas Take-Home Pay
2026 rates · federal + Kansas state + FICA
Every Deduction on a Kansas Paycheck
- Federal income tax: Calculated on the 2026 IRS brackets after subtracting the federal standard deduction, $16,100 for single filers, $32,200 for married filing jointly, and $24,150 for head of household.
- Kansas state income tax: Two brackets, 5.2% and 5.58%, applied after subtracting the Kansas standard deduction and personal exemption, which are separate from the federal figures and generally smaller.
- Kansas standard deduction: $3,605 for single filers, $8,240 for married filing jointly, and $6,180 for head of household.
- Kansas personal exemption: $9,160 for single, head of household, or married filing separately, $18,320 for married filing jointly, plus $2,320 per dependent.
- Social Security: 6.2% of wages up to the 2026 wage base of $184,500, for a maximum employee contribution of $11,439 this year.
- Medicare: 1.45% on all wages with no cap, plus an extra 0.9% on wages above $200,000 for single and head of household filers or $250,000 for married filing jointly.
- What you will not see: No city income tax, no county income tax, no state disability insurance, and no paid family leave premium. Kansas keeps its paycheck deductions to just four line items.
Kansas’ 2024 Tax Reform: Before and After
Senate Bill 1, signed in June 2024, rewired how Kansas taxes wages starting with that same tax year. It collapsed a three-bracket system into two brackets, dropped the lowest rate entirely, and roughly quadrupled the personal exemption. The table below shows exactly what changed.
| Item | Before SB 1 (2023 and earlier) | After SB 1 (2024 forward) |
|---|---|---|
| Number of brackets | 3 | 2 |
| Lowest rate | 3.1% | Eliminated |
| Middle rate | 5.25% | 5.2% (now the bottom rate) |
| Top rate | 5.7% | 5.58% |
| Personal exemption, single | $2,250 | $9,160 |
| Personal exemption, married filing jointly | $4,500 | $18,320 |
| Social Security taxation | Exempt only under $75,000 federal AGI | Fully exempt for all income levels |
Source: Tax Foundation and AARP Kansas state tax guide summaries of 2024 Senate Bill 1, cross-checked against Kansas Statute 79-32,121 as currently codified.
Kansas vs. Neighboring States: $70,000 Single Filer
Kansas has a reputation as a low-tax plains state, but the numbers at a common salary level tell a more mixed story. Here is how it stacks up against four states people in the region actually compare it to.
| State | Income Tax Structure | State Tax Owed | Estimated Annual Net Pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kansas | 2 brackets, 5.2% / 5.58% | $3,106 | $54,969 |
| Colorado | Flat 4.4% | $2,372 | $55,703 |
| Missouri | 8 narrow brackets, 2% to 4.7% | $2,326 | $55,749 |
| Nebraska | 4 brackets, 2.46% to 4.55% | $2,619 | $55,456 |
| Oklahoma | 3 brackets, 0.25% to 4.5% | $2,713 | $55,362 |
Figures use $70,000 gross, single filer, 2026 federal brackets and standard deduction, and each state’s own 2026 standard deduction, exemption, and bracket schedule. Missouri’s figure is an estimate given its narrowly spaced eight-bracket structure; Nebraska’s figure is reconstructed from published 2026 bracket examples since the state has not posted a single consolidated table. Both should be treated as close approximations rather than exact filing numbers.
Kansas’ Tax Burden vs. National Averages
| Tax Type | Kansas | National Average | Where Kansas Stands |
|---|---|---|---|
| State income tax | 5.2% to 5.58%, 2 brackets | Varies, many states flat or fewer brackets | Ranks 28th nationally on individual income tax competitiveness |
| Combined sales tax | 8.78% average | 7.53% average | Well above the national average, among the higher combined rates in the country |
| Effective property tax | 1.21% | Roughly 0.90% | Above the national average |
| Estate/inheritance tax | None | 12 states levy one | No exposure for Kansas residents |
Sources: Tax Foundation 2026 State Tax Competitiveness Index (Kansas), Tax Foundation 2026 Sales Tax Rates midyear update, and AARP Kansas State Tax Guide citing Tax Foundation property tax data.
Put together, Kansas is a state where the income tax looks moderate on paper but the sales tax does a lot of the heavy lifting. An 8.78% average combined sales tax is one of the steeper rates in the country, driven by local add-ons stacking on top of the 6.5% state rate. Property tax runs a bit above the national average too. The income tax itself sits in a reasonable middle position, especially after the 2024 reform, but Kansas is not the tax bargain some assume it is once sales and property tax enter the picture.
Retirees: Kansas’ Full Social Security Exemption
Kansas made a significant change for retirees starting with tax year 2024: Social Security benefits are now fully exempt from state income tax for every taxpayer, with no income cap at all. Before that, only filers with federal adjusted gross income under $75,000 got the exemption, and anyone above that threshold owed Kansas tax on part or all of their benefits.
Kansas government and federal pensions also carry a $9,000 exclusion for qualifying retirees on top of the Social Security exemption, and military retirement pay is fully exempt as well. For anyone weighing a retirement move across the Midwest, this puts Kansas ahead of neighbors that still cap or partially tax Social Security income.
Federal Tax Brackets for 2026
Federal tax applies on top of whatever Kansas collects, using the same progressive structure nationwide. Below are the 2026 brackets for single filers, with the standard deduction already noted above.
| Rate | Single | Married Filing Jointly | Head of Household |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10% | $0 to $12,400 | $0 to $24,800 | $0 to $17,700 |
| 12% | $12,400 to $50,400 | $24,800 to $100,800 | $17,700 to $67,450 |
| 22% | $50,400 to $105,700 | $100,800 to $211,400 | $67,450 to $105,700 |
| 24% | $105,700 to $201,775 | $211,400 to $403,550 | $105,700 to $201,775 |
| 32% | $201,775 to $256,225 | $403,550 to $512,450 | $201,775 to $256,225 |
| 35% | $256,225 to $640,600 | $512,450 to $768,700 | $256,225 to $640,600 |
| 37% | Over $640,600 | Over $768,700 | Over $640,600 |
Source: IRS Revenue Procedure 2025-32, tax year 2026 inflation adjustments (reflects the One Big Beautiful Bill Act).
Worked Example: $70,000 Single Filer
Start with $70,000 in gross wages. Subtract the $16,100 federal standard deduction to get $53,900 in taxable income. That crosses three brackets: the first $12,400 is taxed at 10% for $1,240, the next $38,000 (from $12,400 to $50,400) is taxed at 12% for $4,560, and the remaining $3,500 (from $50,400 to $53,900) is taxed at 22% for $770. Add those pieces together and the federal bill comes to $6,570, an effective rate of about 9.4% on the full $70,000.
On the Kansas side, that same $70,000 first loses the $3,605 standard deduction and the $9,160 personal exemption, leaving $57,235 in Kansas taxable income. The first $23,000 is taxed at 5.2% for $1,196, and the remaining $34,235 is taxed at 5.58% for $1,910.31, for a Kansas total of $3,106.31.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Kansas state income tax rate in 2026?
Kansas uses two brackets. Single, head of household, and married filing separately taxpayers pay 5.2% on the first $23,000 of taxable income and 5.58% above that. Married filing jointly taxpayers pay 5.2% on the first $46,000 and 5.58% above that.
Does Kansas have local or city income taxes?
No. Kansas does not allow cities or counties to charge a local income tax on wages. Whether you work in Wichita, Overland Park, or Topeka, only the state’s two-bracket schedule applies to your paycheck.
Does Kansas tax Social Security benefits?
No, not anymore. Senate Bill 1, enacted in 2024, fully exempts Social Security benefits from Kansas income tax for every taxpayer regardless of income. This replaced a prior rule that only exempted benefits for filers under a $75,000 federal AGI threshold.
How big is the Kansas personal exemption in 2026?
Kansas allows a personal exemption of $9,160 for single, head of household, or married filing separately taxpayers, and $18,320 for married filing jointly, plus $2,320 for each dependent. This is a large increase from the $2,250 and $4,500 amounts that applied before the 2024 reform.
What changed in Kansas’ 2024 tax reform?
Senate Bill 1 replaced Kansas’ old three-bracket system of 3.1%, 5.25%, and 5.7% with a simplified two-bracket system of 5.2% and 5.58%, eliminated the lowest bracket entirely, and roughly quadrupled the personal exemption amounts, starting with tax year 2024.
How much of my paycheck goes to taxes in Kansas?
For a single filer earning $70,000 in 2026, roughly $6,570 goes to federal income tax, about $3,106 to Kansas state tax, $4,340 to Social Security, and $1,015 to Medicare, leaving close to $54,969 in take-home pay before any pre-tax deductions like a 401(k) or health insurance.
Kansas traded complexity for simplicity in 2024 and mostly delivered on it. Two brackets and a much larger exemption make the state tax line easy to predict, even if the overall tax load lands closer to the middle of the pack once sales and property tax get factored in. For anyone budgeting a move within the region, the sales tax rate is worth more attention than the income tax headline.
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