Kansas sales taxes on food (Kansas City, Lee's Summit: purchases, subsidized, taxi)

[xz2y]

I'm somewhat confused about the sales tax rates in the KC area. I read online that the total sales tax in Johnson County was 8.9% on all sales, including groceries, clothing, prescription drugs, etc. Is this correct?

I also read that the sales tax in KCMO is 9.9%? Very high, even higher than Washington State, which has no income tax. Anyway, is this correct on the MO side of the line in KCMO? Does it include groceries and clothing and prescription drugs?

[Okey Dokie]

Here are the statewide tax rates for Missouri, effective October, 2012

http://dor.mo.gov/pdf/rates/2012/oct2012.pdf

It's not as easy as saying "Kansas City's sales tax is x.x%." It depends on what county you're in (Jackson, Clay, Platte or Cass) and whether or not you're in a special taxing district.

The state portion of sales taxes is not collected on groceries, but all the local taxes are. As far as I know, there is no sales tax whatsoever on prescriptions.

I'll leave the Kansas questions to someone else.

[GraniteStater]

Kansas taxes food at the same sales tax rate as all other purchases. The only state that taxes grocery food items at a higher rate is Mississippi. Hopefully this changes soon as I don't think any state in the US should be taxing grocery food items period.

Kansas general sales tax rate is 6.3% but local county, municipal, and state taxes often get added on to the rate. Johnson County cities have a general sales tax in the 9% range when all the other items are added in. Overland Park has the lowest mill rate of any city in JOCO currently, so property taxes there remain the lowest compared to the other cities in the county.

Should Kansans pay taxes on food? | Wichita Eagle
Proposed KS tax cut for food seen causing budget problems

[AnywhereElse]

KS loses out in the border towns. When in Fort Scott, it was well worth a drive to Nevada, MO, about 16 miles away, if you loaded up with groceries/other items at the lower tax rate and filled the vehicle with gas. Many took gas cans along to fill and bring back. I suspect this holds true along the KS/MO border.

[kc chris]

Originally Posted by GraniteStater

Hopefully this changes soon as I don't think any state in the US should be taxing grocery food items period.

I would like to see no tax on the essentials, and higher taxes on everything else to make up for it. I have no problem paying taxes on pop tarts, but maybe milk, fruits, veggies, and even meat should be tax free. The so called "sugar tax" doesn't bother me at all.

Originally Posted by AnywhereElse

KS loses out in the border towns. When in Fort Scott, it was well worth a drive to Nevada, MO, about 16 miles away, if you loaded up with groceries/other items at the lower tax rate and filled the vehicle with gas. Many took gas cans along to fill and bring back. I suspect this holds true along the KS/MO border.

In KC, gas is always cheaper on the MO side, definitely effects where I fill up. I'm back and forth every day though.

[Red On The Noodle]

Originally Posted by AnywhereElse

KS loses out in the border towns. When in Fort Scott, it was well worth a drive to Nevada, MO, about 16 miles away, if you loaded up with groceries/other items at the lower tax rate and filled the vehicle with gas. Many took gas cans along to fill and bring back. I suspect this holds true along the KS/MO border.

The biggest secret is Riverside, MO. Tax on food is about 3.6%. Tax on cigarettes and liquor is only about 6.5%. Kansas gouges you every step of the way. Out by the new Speedway, the tax is almost 10% on everything.

[kcmo]

Taxes are generally lower on the MO side, especially for grocery shopping and gas. KCMO's basic sales tax is lower than most KS cities. It only starts to get high in entertainment districts like the P&L District, Plaza etc where restaurant sales taxes plus entertainment district taxes are added to the basic sales tax.

Most grocery stores will be cheaper on the MO side because they don't typically exist in special taxing districts and MO does not tax groceries. The gas tax is lower in MO too and gas was always about ten cents or more cheaper on the MO side.

Leawood actually has the highest sales taxes and many strip malls in Leawood and Overland Park have special district taxes that make them as much or higher than the Plaza or P&L district. So does Lee's Summit. Just don't shop in any of the newer shopping centers (which are all subsidized) and you can often avoid as much as a 2 percent increase in taxes.

[ohazco]

Originally Posted by AnywhereElse

KS loses out in the border towns. When in Fort Scott, it was well worth a drive to Nevada, MO, about 16 miles away, if you loaded up with groceries/other items at the lower tax rate and filled the vehicle with gas. Many took gas cans along to fill and bring back. I suspect this holds true along the KS/MO border.

True along the KS/CO border too, many KS folks at our Safeway. I assume many stop when around for other reasons though, as it takes alot of groceries for 8% to overcome 60 miles roundtrip worth of gas.

[itsMeFred]

Here in the north, folks drive to Nebraska for a stock-up grocery trip because Nebraska doesn't tax groceries. (Why do some states tax groceries??)
Folks drive to Burlington's Safeway for the bigger selection, ohazco, as well as cheaper prices. Small town grocery stores are pretty high. It's not the sales tax issue, as both KS and CO tax groceries.

[GraniteStater]

Originally Posted by itsMeFred

Here in the north, folks drive to Nebraska for a stock-up grocery trip because Nebraska doesn't tax groceries. (Why do some states tax groceries??)
Folks drive to Burlington's Safeway for the bigger selection, ohazco, as well as cheaper prices. Small town grocery stores are pretty high. It's not the sales tax issue, as both KS and CO tax groceries.

Wow, I guess I didn't realize Burlington is as large within its rural hinterland as it is.