“By taking a middle-of-the-road approach, we have been able to continue putting money back in the pockets of every Kansan,” Governor Laura Kelly said. “This reduction is a step toward eliminating the state sales tax on groceries completely, which will happen in 2025.”

After working tirelessly to put the state on solid financial footing, in 2021 Governor Kelly called on the Kansas Legislature to eliminate the state sales tax on groceries as soon as possible. The legislature ultimately passed legislation that gradually reduced the state sales tax on groceries over three years.

In 2023, the state sales tax rate on groceries went down from 6.5% to 4%, saving consumers $187.7 million per year. By the end of 2024, it is projected that shoppers will have saved more than half a billion dollars in sales tax on groceries over the two years the reduction has been in place.

The state sales tax reduction applies to food, food ingredients, and certain prepared foods. When looking at a receipt, shoppers will see two tax rates, one for qualifying purchases and one for all other items.

The reduction to the 2% state sales tax on qualifying items goes into effect on January 1, 2024.