Change Kansas’ Grocery Tax

KC Healthy Kids is leading the charge to reduce the burden of food sales taxes in Kansas. At 6.5%, the tax is second highest in the nation. Plus, county and city governments can levy additional taxes, bringing the total as high as 11% in some areas.

 

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How it Hurts Kansans

It puts an unfair burden on low income people

It takes a toll on rural grocers and their employees

It drives shoppers across state lines

 

4 Ways You Can Help

1. Share this post on Social Media. Tag your legislator and add a photo of your groceries or your grocery receipt showing the amount of tax you were charged.

I care about lowering the sales tax on groceries in Kansas! I would rather spend money supporting local businesses in our community. #ksleg please lower the sales tax on food this session. 

2. Email your legislator. Email Template

3. Call your legislator. Sample Phone Scripts

4. Tell us how the high sales tax on food impacts you. Use this Form

(Need help finding your legislators? Use our Facebook App )

Why it Matters

Kansas needs to eliminate the state sales tax on groceries to improve health and the economy for thousands of Kansans.

  • Kansas spent $1.3 billion on obesity related expenditures in 2009. – Obesity (Silver Spring)
    Kansas’ health ranking has significantly declined from the 8th to the 27th healthiest state in the nation. – 2014 America’s Health Rankings
  • Research has found that higher fruit and vegetable prices lead to increased obesity – Economics and Human Biology
  • An estimated 21% of children under age 19 are living below the federal poverty level. – Kids Count, Kansas Action for Children

 

Lawmakers agree: It’s time to change the grocery tax

Republican or Democrat, moderate or conservative. Legislators on both sides of the aisle agree that there is an issue that needs to be fixed: taxes on food. KC Healthy Kids sent a survey to every candidate running for the 165 seats in the Kansas Legislature, and we found something everyone could agree on: 100% of respondents would support a reduction or elimination of the state sales tax on food sold at farmers markets and at grocery stores.  See Their Responses (11×17 PDF)

 

Whitepaper Series: Hard Facts on the Food Tax

In addition to making healthy food more affordable for Kansans, cutting the food tax could help smaller and rural grocery businesses in the state by encouraging customers to shop in Kansas rather than in neighboring states with lower food taxes (1.225% in Missouri, 0% in Colorado and Nebraska, and 4.5% in Oklahoma). Want to know more? We’ve commissioned a series of reports exploring the impact of the tax on low-income families, rural grocery stores and the border effect. Read the Series