Tax Policy Archives - Kansas Policy Institute

Income inequality is about choice not “fairness”0
- Tax & Spending
- October 16, 2019
Everyone from democratic presidential candidates to President Trump has some opinion on the concept of income inequality. In Kansas, Governor Kelly even commissioned a tax policy group with the stated intentions to combat inequality by distributing income in ways perceived more “fair”. However, data from the U.S. Census Bureau strongly suggests differences in lifestyle choices
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Kansas deficit-spends into a billion dollar hole 0
- Tax & Spending
- October 10, 2019
The first Kansas legislative session has passed. To finance a record-setting budget, Governor Kelly has consented to both an income tax and sales tax increase. However, the latest information from the Kansas Division of the Budget says it’s not enough. The government is in a hole; for every dollar Kansas deficit spends, another dollar families
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Kansas Tax Increase Unfairly Burdens The Poor 0
- Tax & Spending
- August 12, 2019
The fall in consumer spending has local officials puzzled; there’s a reason why Kansans are buying fewer things at the register. Not surprisingly, counties with declines in consumer shopping also have hiked property taxes. Couple that with the state income tax increase, and the collective tax burden on Kansas families (especially low-income) has increased by
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Kansas Taxpayers Left With $1.4 Billion Deficit Despite Governor’s Veto 0
- Tax & Spending
- May 17, 2019
Those saying the current trajectory of state spending won’t lead to a deficit or tax increase aren’t being honest. A new profile prepared by the Kansas Legislative Research Department (KLRD) shows the state budget creates a $1.4 billion deficit over the next four years. This happens regardless of Governor Kelly’s veto of the tax windfall bill. Another
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After Record Tax Increases, Kansans’ Happiness Suffers 0
- Tax & Spending
- May 2, 2019
The latest snapshot of the Kansas economy isn’t a good one for Kansans. Its private sector is ranked as the 31st fastest growth in the nation for 2018. For the last quarter in 2018, Kansas’s private sector was the 42nd fastest. As a result, economic opportunities elsewhere continue to flourish at the expense of Kansas
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Coincidence or Preparation? Kansans Cut Shopping Equal to Vetoed Tax Windfall 0
- Tax & Spending
- April 15, 2019
Governor Kelly vetoed the tax windfall bill, raising Kansans’ income taxes to the tune of $50 million. Near the same time, the latest state tax report shows Kansans decreasing shopping by $40 million. Is this just a coincidence, or are Kansans preparing to pay for higher taxes again? It’s possible Kansas’s fiscal troubles and sluggish growth
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