Kansas Hourly Paycheck Calculator
As home to the fictional town that served as the setting for “The Wizard of Oz,” Kansas is widely known for its tornadoes and tumbleweeds. If the thought of payroll taxes makes you dream of being swept away to the magical Land of Oz, you’re not alone. Payroll taxes can be a never-ending source of confusion. That’s why we put together this complete guide to Kansas payroll taxes and important paycheck rules. Use it as your go-to resource when payroll tax questions pop up.
Kansas state payroll taxes
Kansas withholding tax
All residents and non-residents working in Kansas must have state income tax withheld from their paychecks. Register your business with the Kansas Department of Revenue to get an account number so you can pay the withholding tax.
When employees start working for you, have them complete Form K-4, Employee’s Withholding Allowance Certificate. This form will help you calculate the amount of withholding tax to deduct from your workers’ paychecks.
Although a new Form K-4 isn’t required each year, it’s a good idea for employees to review it for any changes.
Next, you’ll use the wage bracket tables or formula to come up with the tax amount.
How often you’ll pay is determined by how much tax you withhold in a year. Payment frequencies are below.
| Kansas Withholding Tax Payment Frequency | |||
| Annual Amount Withheld | Filing Frequency | Reporting Period | Payment Due Date |
| $0 – $200 | Annually | Calendar year | January 25 |
| $200.01 – $1,200 | Quarterly | Each calendar quarter | January 25, April 25, July 25, October 25 |
| $1,200.01 – $8,000 | Monthly | Each month | 15th day of the following month |
| $8,000.01 – $100,000 | Semi-Monthly | Twice a month | 10th and 25th day of the month |
| $100,000.01 and above | Quad-Monthly | Four times a month | Within three banking days of the 7th, 15th, 21st, and last day of the month*Electronic payment required |
In addition to paying the withholding tax, you’ll need to file a payroll report using Form KW-5, Withholding Tax Deposit Report, each time you make payment.
Even when you have no withholding to report, you must still file a report.
All employers need to file annual withholding reports on Form KW-3, Annual Withholding Tax Return, to summarize the amount of wages paid and the amount of taxes withheld. You’ll need to send in copies of your Form W-2, Wage and Tax Statement, and any Form 1099, Miscellaneous Income, that have Kansas withholding tax.
Kansas has a comprehensive withholding tax guide to help employers understand their responsibilities.
Kansas unemployment tax
Employers pay an unemployment tax to provide benefits to workers unemployed through no fault of their own.
Kansas taxes the first $14,000 of each employee’s wages each year for unemployment. This is called the wage base, and it can change.
The new employer tax rate for new Kansas employers is 6.0% for those in the construction industry and 2.7% for everyone else.
You’ll have this rate for three to four years, after which your rate may change based on your experience. Things like the dollar amount of your annual payroll and the claims paid to your former workers impact your rate.
Quarterly payments and tax reports are required. Only employers with fewer than 50 employees can file paper reports and mail payments. All other employers must make electronic payments and file reports online.
Other Kansas paycheck rules
Don’t forget about these Kansas paycheck rules.
- New hire reporting – Employers have 20 days to report new or rehired employees to the Kansas New Hire Directory.
- Workers’ Compensation insurance – Requirements to obtain Workers’ Compensation vary by state, this table outlines some of these requirements. If you determine that your company is required to purchase Workers’ Compensation insurance in your state, learn how to sign up for this insurance with Gusto. Sometimes, companies get a request for a workers’ comp audit—head to this article and click the workers’ comp audit reports dropdown for more information.
- Overtime – State law mandates overtime be paid when employees work more than 46 hours a week, while federal law says overtime is due when employees work more than 40 hours in a week. Which threshold applies depends on the employer’s annual revenue and interstate commerce levels.
- Minimum wage – The minimum wage in Kansas is $7.25 per hour.
- Jury duty – Employers must give employees time off for jury duty, but the time isn’t required to be paid.
- Voting leave – In certain circumstances, employers need to provide workers with up to two hours of paid leave to vote.
Final paychecks – When an employee leaves the company, the final wages are due no later than the next regular payday.
Paying federal payroll taxes
In addition to the Kansas state payroll taxes, you’ll need to pay federal payroll taxes. There are four to know about.
FUTA – Federal unemployment tax
Like the state, the federal government also has an unemployment tax. It’s called FUTA and it’s an annual tax employers pay on the first $7,000 of each employee’s wages. The FUTA rate for 2022 is 6%, but most employers only have to pay 0.6% each year.
FICA – Federal Insurance Contributions Act
The Federal Insurance Contributions Act, or FICA tax, is made up of the Medicare tax and the Social Security tax. In 2022, the Social Security tax requires employers and employees to each contribute 6.2% of wages up to $147,000. The Medicare tax requires each to contribute 1.45% of all wages. See the IRS webpage for details, like maximum thresholds.
Additional Medicare tax
Some employees may need to pay a bit more Medicare tax. This extra Medicare tax is known as the Additional Medicare tax. Any employee earning more than $200,000 per year needs to have 0.9% withheld on the excess wages for the Additional Medicare tax.
FIT – Federal income tax withholding
Just like with Kansas’s withholding tax, employees need to pay their federal tax bill throughout the year via paycheck deductions. How much you’ll deduct depends largely on Form W-4, Employee’s Withholding Certificate. Have employees complete this form when they start working for you and update anytime their tax situation changes.
With information Form W-4, you’ll use the federal withholding tax tables to figure out how much tax to withhold.
Paying federal payroll taxes
Calculating the various federal payroll taxes is just part of the process. You’ll need to send the taxes off to the IRS at some point. You’ll pay based on how much tax you owe each year.
Annual or quarterly payments
FUTA tax is generally paid annually. However, you may need to make quarterly payments if you owe more than $500.
Each time you make a payment, you’ll need to file Form 940, Employer’s Annual Federal Unemployment (FUTA) Tax Return.
Monthly, semi-weekly, or next-day payments
Monthly and semi-weekly payments are most common for FICA, FIT, and Additional Medicare tax. In some cases, employers with large dollar payrolls may need to make next-day payments.
Regardless of when you pay, all employers must file Form 941, Employer’s Quarterly Federal Tax Return, each calendar quarter.
Be sure to pay your taxes and file your payroll reports on time to avoid penalties. Comprehensive payroll providers can help by automatically filing your payroll reports and paying your taxes. Leaving it to the experts means you won’t need to fuss over payroll taxes or deadlines again.
Disclaimer
The information provided by the Employer Tax Calculator is for general information and estimation. All of the taxes or fees that apply to your business may not be accounted for, or fully up to date. Gusto, Inc. (dba “Gusto”) does not promise or guarantee that the information in the Employer Tax Calculator is accurate or complete, and Gusto expressly disclaims all liability, loss or risk incurred by employers or employees as a direct result or an indirect consequence of its use. By using the Employer Tax Calculator, you waive any rights or claims you may have against Gusto in connection with its use.