Kansas’ Council on Tax Reform duration extended by governor

Gov. Laura Kelly says she will be extending the duration of the Governor’s Council on Tax Reform. She said the COVID-19 crisis has not only impacted state healthcare systems but has also impacted the state budget.

Kelly said following the Consensus Revenue Estimating Group’s projections from the week of Nov. 9, the state will continue to bring in less revenue. She said given the current budget situation, a full discussion of future tax reform proposals is not currently possible.

“While Kansas will continue to recover from the COVID crisis, there is a continued need for a robust discussion of tax reform, and the Tax Council’s work needs to continue into next year,” Governor Kelly said. “I greatly appreciate the work the Council has done to this point, and I look forward to the Council’s report next year.”

Kelly said she continues to recommend returning to the “three leged stool” approach relying on a sensible balance of income, sales and property tax revenue. She said the Council will continue to review aspects of state and local finances and how to best respond to federal tax law changes, the taxation of groceries as part of sales tax revenue and how to provide targeted property tax relief. She said the Council has also been charged with deciding how much room will be available in future budget projections for tax relief.