Kansas Salary Paycheck and Payroll Calculator

Kansas Salary Paycheck Calculator

With the numerous taxes and deadlines, keeping on top of Kansas payroll taxes is no small feat. It consumes time and resources. If you find yourself confusing deadlines or tax rates, you’re not alone. That’s why we’ve answered the most frequently asked questions about Kansas payroll taxes and paycheck rules.

Kansas state payroll taxes

How do employers know how much state income tax to withhold from employees’ paychecks?

All Kansas residents and non-residents need to have state income taken out of their paychecks.

Each employee should complete Form K-4, Employee’s Withholding Allowance Certificate, on their first day of work. The information your employee provides on this form will help you figure out the withholding amount. Employees don’t need to fill out a Form K-4 each year, but they should review it annually for any changes. With the Form K-4 information and Kansas’s withholding tax guide, you can calculate the amount of tax to take out. 

Be sure that your business is registered with the Kansas Department of Revenue so you can pay the withholding tax to the state. The frequency that you’ll pay withholding tax depends on how much tax you withhold each year. Withholding tax payment frequencies are as follows:

Along with paying the withholding tax, payroll reports on Form KW-5, Withholding Tax Deposit Report, are required each time you make payment. A report is required even if you have no tax to pay. 

Each employer must also complete an annual withholding report on Form KW-3, Annual Withholding Tax Return. You’ll need to send in copies of your Form W-2, Wage and Tax Statement, and any Form 1099, Miscellaneous Income, that has Kansas withholding tax. 
To better understand your employer’s responsibilities, review Kansas’s withholding tax guide.

How does Kansas calculate unemployment tax?

In Kansas, employers (not employees) pay state unemployment tax. Kansas charges unemployment tax on the first $14,000 of each worker’s pay each year. This amount is called the wage base, and it can change.

For new Kansas employers, there are two new employer tax rates.

• New construction employers: 6.0%
• All other new employers: 2.7%

After a few years, new employers receive “experience” rates. Experience rates are calculated to include information like the size of your annual payroll and the number of claims paid to your former workers.
Kansas requires employers to pay unemployment tax and file wage reports each quarter. Employers with 50 or more employees must pay and file reports electronically.

Do new employees have to be reported to the state?

Employers need to report new or rehired employees to the Kansas New Hire Directory within 20 days of hire. 

What’s the salary threshold in Kansas?

Because the state of Kansas doesn’t have its own salary threshold, it adheres to the federal salary threshold, which is now $684 per week (equivalent to $35,568 per year for a full-year worker). The Department of Labor permits employers to count some bonuses, commissions, and other incentive payments toward meeting the standard salary level (up to 10%). Employees who earn at least $107,432 per year may qualify as “highly compensated.” See this Department of Labor fact sheet for details.

When is Workers’ Compensation insurance required in Kansas?

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. 

After a worker leaves the company, when are final wages due?

Final wages are due no later than the next regularly scheduled payday.

Does Kansas require employers to provide time off?

Kansas law requires employers to provide two types of time off.

• Jury duty: If an employee is called for jury duty, employers must provide time off. But the time off doesn’t need to be paid.
• Voting leave:  In some circumstances, employers are obligated to provide up to two hours of paid time off to allow employees to vote.

Federal payroll taxes in Kansas

In addition to state tax obligations, there are several federal payroll taxes you’ll have to file and pay.

How do employers calculate the amount of tax to withhold for federal income taxes?

Calculating federal withholding tax starts with Form W-4, Employee’s Withholding Certificate. Each employee should complete this form when they start working for you. Information from Form W-4 will help determine the withholding amount. You’ll need to look at the federal withholding tables along with your employee’s Form W-4 information to find the tax amount. 

Do Kansas employers pay federal unemployment tax?

Yes. 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 many employers only have to pay 0.6% each year.

What is FICA tax?

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.

What is the Additional Medicare tax, and how’s it calculated?

The Additional Medicare tax is paid by some employees and is in addition to the 1.45% Medicare tax paid with FICA. Employers need to withhold 0.9% of any wages over $200,000 paid to an employee each year.

When do federal payroll taxes need to be paid?

The payment frequency depends on how much you owe and the type of tax. 

In addition to paying your federal payroll taxes, you’ll also need to file payroll tax returns. 

• Form 941, Employer’s Quarterly Federal Tax Return
  • Filed each calendar quarter for:
    • Federal withholding,
    • FICA, and
    • Additional Medicare 
• Form 940, Employer’s Annual Federal Unemployment (FUTA) Tax Return
  • Filed each time you make payment for:
    • Federal unemployment

Paying your payroll taxes on time is critical to avoid penalties. Be sure to put the funds aside so you can pay your taxes timely.
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