Kansas Payroll · Graduated 5.2%–5.58% · Form K-4 · IRS Publication 15-T
Kansas Paycheck Calculator 2025
Estimate your Kansas take-home pay for hourly or salaried work in a single form. The calculator deducts federal income tax withholding, Social Security, Medicare, and the graduated Kansas income tax using the Kansas Department of Revenue KW-100 percentage method: it subtracts your Form K-4 withholding allowance before applying the 5.2 percent and 5.58 percent schedule for your single or married status. Uses 2025 IRS Publication 15-T and the Kansas withholding tables in effect for 2025.
Pay Details
Check this on Form W-4 if you hold two jobs or your spouse also works. It switches to the higher Step 2 withholding schedule.
W-4 Adjustments (Optional)
Annual dependent credit total (e.g. $2,000 per child under 17)
Step 4c additional federal withholding per paycheck
Kansas Tax (Form K-4)
Sets the Kansas rate chart and personal exemption. Kansas uses the Joint rate only when you are married and your spouse has no income; a married couple who both work each use the Single rate.
Each dependent adds a $2,320 Kansas allowance.
Form K-4 line 5 additional Kansas withholding.
If you never filed a K-4, Kansas law requires withholding at the single rate with no allowances, the highest amount.
Enter your pay details and click Calculate to see your take-home pay breakdown.
Want the full Kansas payroll picture, including how the withholding reconciles on Form K-40, why Kansas uses the Joint rate only when a spouse has no income, the two-tier allowance values on Form K-4, and the employer unemployment obligations? Read the Kansas Payroll Taxes guide.
Kansas Payroll Taxes Guide →Short Answer
This Kansas paycheck calculator estimates net take-home pay after federal income tax withholding, Social Security (6.2%), Medicare (1.45%), and the graduated Kansas income tax. Kansas withholds by annualizing wages, subtracting the Form K-4 withholding allowance, then applying the 5.2 percent and 5.58 percent two-rate KW-100 schedule for single or married status. For a single Kansas worker earning $65,000 per year paid biweekly who claims the $9,160 personal exemption, gross pay is about $2,500 per period, and net take-home is roughly $1,972 after about $227 of federal withholding, FICA, and about $109 of Kansas income tax. Kansas has no local wage tax and no state disability, family leave, or employee unemployment deduction.
Key Takeaways
- Kansas withholds a graduated income tax on every paycheck. This calculator applies the Kansas Department of Revenue KW-100 percentage method: annualize wages, subtract the Form K-4 withholding allowance, then apply the 5.2 percent and 5.58 percent schedule for single or married status and divide by pay periods, rounding to the nearest whole dollar.
- Kansas allowances come in two sizes. A personal or spouse allowance is worth $9,160 of exempt wages and a dependent allowance is worth $2,320. At the 5.58 percent top rate a personal allowance saves about $511 a year while a dependent allowance saves about $129, so marital status moves a Kansas check far more than the number of dependents.
- Form K-4, not the federal W-4, sets your Kansas allowance rate and exemption. An employee who files no K-4 is withheld as single with no allowances, the highest Kansas withholding, about $500 a year more for a single $65,000 earner.
- Kansas uses the Joint rate only when you are married and your spouse has no income. A married couple who both work each use the Single rate on Form K-4, which prevents the two-earner household from being under-withheld.
- Kansas rates are 5.2 percent and a 5.58 percent top rate under Senate Bill 1 of the 2024 special session. The Kansas standard deduction is built into the withholding table's zero-tax first band ($3,605 single, $8,240 married on the annual table). These rates apply to both 2025 and 2026.
- Federal income tax uses the IRS Publication 15-T percentage method. Social Security is 6.2% up to the 2025 wage base of $176,100; Medicare is 1.45% with no cap plus a 0.9% surtax that employers withhold on wages above $200,000. Kansas has no local wage tax and no reciprocity. For supplemental pay use the Bonus Tax Calculator and RSU Tax Calculator.
2025 Kansas Payroll Tax Quick Reference
| Tax | Rate | Wage Base / Threshold | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Federal Income Tax | 10%–37% | No cap | Graduated brackets. Based on W-4 filing status and Publication 15-T percentage method tables. |
| Social Security (OASDI) | 6.2% employee | $176,100 (2025) | Withholding stops at wage base. Employer matches 6.2%. |
| Medicare (HI) | 1.45% employee | No limit | Employer matches 1.45%. |
| Additional Medicare Tax | 0.9% | $200,000 single/HOH; $250,000 MFJ; $125,000 MFS | Employee only. Employer withholds once individual wages exceed $200,000 in the calendar year. |
| Kansas Income Tax | 5.2%–5.58% | Percentage-method schedule | Graduated two-rate schedule. Withheld via KW-100 after the Form K-4 allowance, using the single or married chart. |
| KS personal exemption | – | $9,160 / $18,320 | Form K-4. $9,160 single, head of household, or married filing separate; $18,320 married with no spouse income. |
| KS dependent allowance | – | $2,320 each | Plus $2,320 for a head-of-household filer. |
| Employee disability / family leave | None | – | No employee deduction. Kansas has no state disability or paid family leave program. |
| Employee unemployment (UI) | None | – | Unemployment is employer-funded; the 2026 taxable wage base is $15,100. |
| Local wage income tax | None | – | No city or county wage tax anywhere in Kansas. |
How This Calculator Works
Hourly Mode: Gross Pay Per Period
Gross pay per period equals the hourly rate multiplied by hours worked per week, then scaled to the pay period. For biweekly pay: hourly rate × hours per week × 2. For weekly: hourly rate × hours per week. For semi-monthly and monthly: hourly rate × hours per week × (52 ÷ periods per year).
Salary Mode: Gross Pay Per Period
Gross pay per period equals annual salary divided by the number of pay periods per year. Weekly: ÷ 52. Biweekly: ÷ 26. Semi-monthly: ÷ 24. Monthly: ÷ 12.
Social Security Tax
Social Security is 6.2% of annualized gross wages up to the $176,100 wage base for 2025. The per-period amount is the annualized Social Security tax divided by pay periods. This calculator does not track year-to-date cumulative wages, so for workers approaching the wage base, actual withholding will stop mid-year once the limit is reached.
Medicare Tax
Standard Medicare is 1.45% on all gross wages. The calculator adds the 0.9% Additional Medicare Tax on annualized wages above $200,000, matching the employer withholding rule in IRS Topic 560: employers withhold the surtax once wages exceed $200,000 in a calendar year regardless of filing status. Your final liability on Form 8959 uses filing-status thresholds ($200,000 single/HOH, $250,000 MFJ, $125,000 MFS), so married filers may reconcile the difference at filing.
Federal Income Tax Withholding
The calculator follows IRS Publication 15-T Worksheet 1A (Percentage Method for Automated Payroll Systems) for 2025:
- Annualize the per-period gross pay (multiply by pay periods per year) - line 1c.
- Add Step 4a other income; subtract Step 4b additional deductions - lines 1d-1f.
- Subtract the line 1g allowance: $12,900 for married filing jointly or $8,600 otherwise. If the W-4 Step 2 box is checked, subtract $0 instead. The result is the Adjusted Annual Wage Amount (line 1i).
- Apply the Annual Percentage Method table for the W-4 filing status - the STANDARD schedule, or the Step 2 Checkbox schedule when the Step 2 box is checked - to get the tentative annual withholding (line 2g), then divide by pay periods (line 2h).
- Subtract Step 3 dependent credits divided by pay periods (line 3c).
- Add Step 4c extra withholding per period (line 4b).
Kansas Income Tax Withholding
Kansas withholds income tax using the percentage method in the Kansas Department of Revenue publication KW-100, Kansas Withholding Tax Guide. Kansas applies a two-rate graduated schedule to the wage after the Form K-4 allowance, choosing a single or married chart. The steps are:
- Annualize the per-period gross pay (multiply by pay periods per year).
- Compute the Form K-4 withholding allowance amount and subtract it. The personal exemption is $9,160 for single, head of household, or married filing separate, or $18,320 for married with no spouse income; add $2,320 for a head-of-household filer and $2,320 per dependent. If the result is zero or less, no Kansas tax is withheld.
- Apply the graduated withholding rate schedule below for your K-4 allowance rate, divide by pay periods, and round to the nearest whole dollar to get the per-period withholding.
| Annual wage after allowances (single) | Withholding |
|---|---|
| $0 to $3,605 | $0 |
| $3,605 to $26,605 | 5.2% of the excess over $3,605 |
| Over $26,605 | $1,196.00 + 5.58% of the excess over $26,605 |
| Annual wage after allowances (married, joint rate) | Withholding |
|---|---|
| $0 to $8,240 | $0 |
| $8,240 to $54,240 | 5.2% of the excess over $8,240 |
| Over $54,240 | $2,392.00 + 5.58% of the excess over $54,240 |
These are the Kansas percentage-method withholding rates for the Annual Payroll Period (KW-100, tables in effect for wages paid on and after July 1, 2024, and continuing for 2025 and 2026). The zero-tax first band builds in the Kansas standard deduction, so it is not subtracted separately. The calculator annualizes and divides across your pay frequency, matching the shorter per-frequency tables to the whole dollar. Your final Kansas income tax is settled on Form K-40, where the statutory brackets, standard deduction, and credits apply. Because withholding is an estimate, small differences are reconciled at filing.
What Kansas Does Not Deduct
Kansas has no state disability insurance, no paid family leave payroll deduction, and no employee unemployment tax. Unemployment insurance is funded entirely by employers through the Kansas Department of Labor. There is also no local wage tax anywhere in Kansas, so the only Kansas line on a pay stub is the state income tax.
Real-World Paycheck Scenarios
Scenario 1: Single Worker Paid Biweekly
Dylan earns $65,000 per year at a firm in Wichita. He is paid biweekly, files single on his W-4, uses the single K-4 allowance rate, and claims his own $9,160 personal exemption. His biweekly gross is $65,000 ÷ 26 = $2,500.00.
Kansas income tax detail (annualized): the $9,160 personal exemption leaves an annual wage after allowances of $65,000 − $9,160 = $55,840. On the single chart that is $1,196.00 + 5.58% of ($55,840 − $26,605) = $2,827.31 for the year, divided by 26 = $108.74, rounded to $109 per paycheck. There are no disability, family leave, or unemployment lines, money a worker in New Jersey or Washington would see deducted.
Scenario 2: Married One-Earner Household
Sara earns $95,000 as a project manager in Overland Park. She is paid biweekly, is married filing jointly on her W-4, and her spouse has no income, so she uses the Joint K-4 rate and its $18,320 exemption. Her biweekly gross is $95,000 ÷ 26 = $3,653.85.
Sara's Kansas tax: the $18,320 Joint exemption leaves an annual wage after allowances of $95,000 − $18,320 = $76,680, which on the married chart is $2,392.00 + 5.58% of ($76,680 − $54,240) = $3,644.15 for the year, divided by 26 = $140.16, rounded to $140. The Joint rate is only correct because Sara's spouse has no income. If the spouse also worked, both would need to use the Single K-4 rate, or the household could land short at filing on Form K-40.
Practitioner Insight
The Kansas item we correct most is the K-4 that was never filed. Kansas law says an employee with no K-4 on file is withheld at the single rate with no allowances, so the whole wage is taxed with nothing subtracted. For a single worker at $65,000 that is about $19 more a paycheck, roughly $500 a year, sitting with the state until the K-40 refund. Filing a K-4 and claiming the $9,160 personal exemption fixes it immediately, and it is the single most common reason a new hire's Kansas line looks too high.
The second pattern is the two-earner married couple that both mark Joint on the K-4. Kansas reserves the Joint rate for a married person whose spouse has no income, because the married table's brackets are far wider than the single table's. When both spouses earn and both use Joint, each employer withholds as if that salary were the household's only income, and the couple lands short in April. The Kansas fix is on the form itself: if the spouse has income, the K-4 instruction is to mark Single, not Joint.
The third thing we explain is why dependents barely move a Kansas check. Kansas gives a personal or spouse allowance a $9,160 value but a dependent only $2,320. At the top 5.58 percent rate a personal allowance is worth about $511 a year and a dependent about $129. Clients used to federal dependent credits are surprised how little a Kansas dependent allowance changes the paycheck; the number that matters is the allowance rate and the personal exemption.
When This Calculator Gives a Less Accurate Estimate
- Pre-tax deductions not entered: A 401(k) or 403(b) contribution and Section 125 medical premiums reduce the wages subject to both federal and Kansas income tax withholding. This calculator does not model pre-tax deductions, so actual income tax withholding is lower and net pay is typically higher than the estimate.
- No K-4 on file: If you never filed a Form K-4, Kansas requires withholding at the single rate with no allowances. Set the K-4 toggle to No to see that higher amount, which for a single $65,000 earner is about $500 a year more than claiming the personal exemption.
- Two-earner married households: Kansas allows the Joint rate only when a spouse has no income. If both spouses work and both use Joint, combined withholding falls short because the married table's brackets are much wider than the single table's. Both spouses should use the Single K-4 rate.
- Wage-bracket versus percentage method: Kansas also publishes wage-bracket withholding tables. Small employers using the bracket tables can differ by a few cents from the percentage-method computation this calculator uses; both are approved and reconcile on Form K-40.
- Year-to-date Social Security cap: The calculator annualizes Social Security evenly. For a worker who passes the $176,100 wage base mid-year, actual Social Security withholding stops at that point rather than spreading across every paycheck.
- Supplemental wages: Bonuses, commissions, and other supplemental pay are run through the Kansas withholding tables rather than a separate flat state rate. For the federal supplemental math on a bonus, use the Bonus Tax Calculator.
Frequently Asked Questions
How is take-home pay calculated in Kansas?
Kansas take-home pay equals gross pay minus federal income tax withholding, Social Security (6.2%), Medicare (1.45%), and Kansas income tax withholding. Federal withholding uses IRS Publication 15-T. Kansas income tax is withheld with the Kansas Department of Revenue KW-100 percentage method: annualize wages, subtract the Form K-4 withholding allowance amount, then apply the graduated 5.2 percent and 5.58 percent two-rate schedule for single or married status and divide by pay periods. Kansas has no local wage income tax and no employee-paid disability, family leave, or unemployment contribution.
What are Kansas's income tax withholding rates for 2025?
Kansas uses a two-rate graduated schedule set by Senate Bill 1 of the 2024 special session: 5.2 percent and a 5.58 percent top rate. The first bracket of the withholding table is a zero-tax band that builds in the Kansas standard deduction, so on the annual table a single filer owes no Kansas tax on the first $3,605 after allowances and a married filer owes none on the first $8,240. The 5.58 percent top rate begins over $26,605 after allowances for a single filer and over $54,240 for a married filer. These rates apply to both 2025 and 2026.
How does Form K-4 affect my Kansas withholding?
Form K-4 is Kansas's own withholding allowance certificate, separate from the federal W-4. It sets your Kansas allowance rate (Single or Joint, where Joint is used only when you are married and your spouse has no income) and your withholding allowance amount. Each personal or spouse allowance is worth $9,160 of the Kansas personal exemption and each dependent allowance is worth $2,320. If you do not file a K-4, the employer must withhold at the single rate with no allowances, which is the highest Kansas withholding.
What is a Kansas withholding allowance worth?
Kansas allowances come in two sizes. A personal or spouse allowance removes $9,160 of annual wages before Kansas tax is figured, and a dependent allowance removes $2,320. At the 5.58 percent top rate a personal allowance is worth about $511 a year in reduced Kansas withholding, while a dependent allowance is worth about $129. That is why the marital status and personal exemption on Form K-4 move a Kansas paycheck far more than the number of dependents.
Does Kansas have a local city income tax?
No. Kansas has no municipal or county wage income tax withheld from employees anywhere in the state, including Wichita, Overland Park, Kansas City, Topeka, and Olathe. A Kansas pay stub shows federal taxes and the state income tax, with no city or local wage line. This differs from states such as Missouri, where Kansas City and St. Louis levy a 1 percent local earnings tax.
Does Kansas have income tax reciprocity with other states?
No. Kansas has no reciprocal income tax agreements with any state. A resident of a neighboring state such as Missouri who works in Kansas has Kansas tax withheld and files a Kansas nonresident return, then claims a credit for taxes paid to Kansas on their home-state return so the same income is not taxed twice.
What is the Social Security wage base for 2025?
The Social Security wage base for 2025 is $176,100. Social Security tax at 6.2% applies to wages up to this amount, and withholding stops once cumulative wages exceed $176,100 for the year. Medicare has no wage base limit and continues at 1.45% on all wages. Employers withhold an additional 0.9% Medicare surtax on wages above $200,000 regardless of filing status; final liability thresholds are $250,000 for married filing jointly and $125,000 for married filing separately.
What To Do Next
If your Kansas paycheck estimate looks off, first confirm you filed a Form K-4 with your employer and that the allowance rate and personal exemption match what you intended, then check whether pre-tax benefit deductions (401k, health insurance) are lowering your taxable wages. If you are married and both spouses work, make sure each K-4 uses the Single rate, not Joint, so you are not short at filing. To see how your withholding connects to your year-end return, read the Kansas Payroll Taxes guide and our How Payroll Taxes Work guide.
For hourly workers who also receive overtime, the Hourly Paycheck Calculator lets you model specific hours and frequencies. For a generic multi-state view, use the Paycheck Calculator. To understand every line item on your Kansas pay stub, see our How to Read a Pay Stub guide.
If you have self-employment income in addition to wages, the 1099 Tax Calculator estimates your full federal tax burden including self-employment tax. If you need to estimate quarterly payments on that income, use the Quarterly Tax Calculator. To track a filed state or federal refund, use the Refund Tracker.
Sources & Editorial Disclosure
- Kansas Department of Revenue, KW-100 Kansas Withholding Tax Guide (Rev. 7-24): the percentage-method computation, the $9,160 / $18,320 personal exemption, the $2,320 dependent and head-of-household allowances, Form K-4 rules, and the official worked example (married, one dependent, $2,000 semi-monthly, three allowances) reproduced to $41
- Kansas Department of Revenue, Tables for Percentage Method of Kansas Withholding (wages paid on and after July 1, 2024): the single and married annual and per-frequency rate schedules (5.2% and 5.58% top rate) that this calculator applies
- Kansas Department of Revenue, Withholding Tax, Form K-4 and the percentage-method / wage-bracket withholding methods; Senate Bill 1 (2024 special session) rate and standard deduction changes
- Kansas Department of Labor, Unemployment Tax: employer-funded unemployment, 2026 taxable wage base $15,100
- IRS Publication 15-T (2025), Employer's Tax Guide to Federal Income Tax Withholding
- IRS Topic 751, Social Security and Medicare Withholding Rates
- Social Security Administration, 2025 Wage Base ($176,100)
- Authored by Munib Ur Rehman · Reviewed by Nausheen Shahid, LMN Tax Inc. Not affiliated with the IRS or the Kansas Department of Revenue. For informational purposes only.