(Syndicated to Kansas newspapers Jan. 4, 2016)
While thousands of Kansans probably made New Year’s resolutions to lose weight or learn French—or maybe just remember to put their empty rum and wine bottles in the recycle container in 2016—about 330,000 Kansans have already achieved their resolution.
That’s to not bother paying any Kansas income tax on the 2015 non-wage earnings of their LLC or small corporation or farm profits.
But while we read that most of those New Year’s resolutions last about two weeks, those non-Kansas income taxpayers may have to worry about the next maybe 80 or 90 days for the Kansas Legislature to meet, adjourn and leave them alone for another year.
That might just be possible for a legislative session that is focused on the upcoming elections…unless someone figures out how to get the roughly 550,000 other voters interested in the issue. We’re assuming that the 330,000 income tax- exempt Kansans are a little self-conscious about it, but are smart enough to vote to maintain that status.