2026 · Kansas
Kansas severance pay tax
Federal 22% plus Kansas's 5.0% supplemental rate. But neither is your real tax rate. Here's the real number.
Counts toward the $184,500 Social Security cap.
Wages, new job, spouse, sets your real tax rate.
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Kansas layoff at a glance
| State tax on severance | Flat 5.0% supplemental withholding |
| State income tax | Graduated, up to 5.7% |
| Unemployment weekly max | $637 for up to 16 weeks |
| Unemployment taxed by Kansas? | Yes |
How Kansas withholds on severance
Kansas withholds a flat 5.0% on supplemental wages like severance. On top of that, the federal government withholds a flat 22% (37% over $1 million) and FICA, 6.2% Social Security up to the $184,500 wage base plus 1.45% Medicare.
Kansas taxes income on a graduated scale topping out at 5.7%, so a large severance can be pushed into that top rate. If you also claim unemployment, Kansas pays up to $637 a week for up to 16 weeks, and taxes it on the state return. That's the Kansas layoff picture in one place, the severance tax here, the unemployment on its own Kansas page.
Worked example: $40,000 severance in Kansas
A single filer, $40,000 severance paid separately, with $60,000 of other 2026 income:
| Federal withholding (22%) | −$8,800 |
| FICA (Social Security + Medicare) | −$3,060 |
| Kansas withholding | −$2,000 |
| Net check | $26,140 |
| What it actually costs in tax | $13,490 |
Over-withheld by about $370, expect roughly that back as a refund at filing. The withholding is a fixed rate; your actual tax is your marginal rate on the severance stacked on your other income.
Stacking Kansas unemployment on top
Kansas sizes your weekly check off your highest-earning quarter, up to $637 a week, mid-pack nationally (20th of 51). There is no separate dependent add-on. Duration 16-26 indexed; current 16.
| Weekly benefit range | $159 - $637 |
| How the amount is set | Off your highest-earning quarter |
| Maximum duration | 16 weeks (16-26 indexed; current 16) |
| Waiting week | Yes, one unpaid week |
| Dependent allowance | None |
| Taxed by Kansas | Yes |
Stacked together, that $40,000 severance nets about $26,140 and Kansas's unemployment can add up to $10,192 over 16 weeks, about 9 months of a $4,000 budget before you need a paycheck. File through Kansas Department of Labor; nail down the exact figure in the runway calculator.
Questions about Kansas severance tax
Is severance taxed higher in Kansas?
No. It's withheld at a flat 22% federally and 5.0% by Kansas, but it's taxed as ordinary income at your normal rates. You settle up at filing.
Does Kansas tax my severance?
Yes, Kansas taxes severance as wages. Kansas withholds a flat 5.0% on supplemental wages like severance.
Will I get a refund or owe more?
It depends on your bracket. The flat 22% over-withholds for lower earners (refund) and under-withholds for those in the 32 to 37% brackets (set aside the difference). Enter your numbers above to see which way it goes for you.
Your Kansas layoff toolkit
- Kansas unemployment benefits weekly amount and duration
- Runway calculator how long your money lasts
- Kansas paycheck calculator take-home at your next job
- Kansas 1099 tax if you go freelance
An estimate for the 2026 tax year. State supplemental figures from the verified dataset, last verified 2026-07-24. Nothing you enter is stored. Not tax advice.