You should have noticed a slightly lower food bill at grocery stores across Kansas this week.
As part of legislative action last year, the state sales tax on food went from 6.5 percent to 4 percent Sunday. By itself, that reduction could save people $2.50 in taxes on $100 worth of groceries.
The tax will drop to 2 percent on Jan. 1, 2024, before being totally eliminated at the start of 2025. Residents need to check their receipts because some retailers have struggled to make the changeover earlier this week.
Both Democratic Governor Laura Kelly and Republican challenger Derek Schmidt favored the end of the tax, but Schmidt preferred a gradual end to the tax whiile Kelly wanted it to end all at once. Lawmakers decided on a phased approach to end the tax versus ideas to end it at one time, especially with an estimated impact of over $400 million to the state budget. Kelly says she will push again for a total end to the food sales tax as soon as possible.
