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Every step to open an LLC in Kansas and get ready to hire, in order, with the official state page for each one. Agencies you'll deal with: Secretary of State · Department of Revenue · Department of Labor (UI, workers' comp, new hire) · Health Care Stabilization Fund.
This is the most common path: a new LLC, general business, paying W-2 employees and 1099 contractors. Adding a location, forming a corporation, or in a licensed industry? Customize it and check off steps as you go.
Customize this checklistPopular Kansas business types:
Do this first. The state tax and payroll accounts ask for your registration details.
Apply free on the IRS website and get the number immediately. You'll need it for the state tax registration, a business bank account, and payroll. Opening a new location? You already have one; the same EIN works in every state.
This internal document sets out who owns what, how decisions get made, and what happens if an owner leaves. It isn't filed with the state, but banks often ask for it, and it helps protect your liability shield. Single-owner LLCs need one too.
Bring your EIN letter, filed formation documents, and operating agreement or bylaws. Keeping business and personal money separate is one of the main things that protects your personal assets.
Many businesses need a license or permit before opening, separate from registering the company. Check three levels: the state licensing board for your field, your city or county, and any federal agency that regulates your industry.
If you want S corp taxation, file IRS Form 2553. The deadline is tight: generally within 2 months and 15 days after the start of the tax year you want it to apply. See Business basics for when it makes sense.
File Articles of Organization (or the state's equivalent) online through Kansas Secretary of State online business filing.
You need a resident agent with a street address in Kansas to receive legal papers and state notices. Use a registered agent service if you have no one local.
Kansas does not register DBA or assumed names at the state level.
Kansas revised its filing forms and fees in early 2026. The paper Articles of Organization fee is now $90 (form revised February 27, 2026).
Register for withholding and sales tax online through the KDOR Customer Service Center, or file the paper Business Tax Application (Form CR-16). There is no registration fee and IDs take 2-3 business days.
Cities and counties levy local sales taxes. State law blocks cities and counties from setting a higher minimum wage for private employers.
Applies if you sell products, or services this state taxes. Most medical care is exempt. See Business basics for sales tax.
Kansas calls it a Certificate of Registration (Kansas Retailers' Sales Tax). Register with the Kansas Department of Revenue through KDOR Customer Service Center (Business Tax Application, Form CR-16) before you make your first taxable sale in Kansas. You'll collect tax from customers and send it to the state.
Give your supplier Form ST-28A, Resale Exemption Certificate so you don't pay tax on inventory you'll resell. The buyer must have a Kansas sales tax account number (except drop shipments); a blanket ST-28A needs no renewal if no more than 12 months pass between sales. Keep certificates your own customers give you, too.
Out-of-state sellers must register once sales into Kansas pass $100,000 (current or preceding calendar year), even with no office here.
Kansas accepts the Streamlined certificate (Form PR-78SSTA) in place of most Kansas exemption forms, and has its own multi-state form (ST-28M) for unregistered out-of-state buyers.
Applies once you pay W-2 employees who work in this state.
Form I-9 is never mailed to the government. You keep it in your own files and show it only if ICE or the Department of Labor asks for an inspection.
Federal posters (minimum wage, EEO, FMLA if you have 50+ employees, and others) go alongside the state ones.
Register once you pay wages to employees working in Kansas. Reports and payments are usually quarterly.
Required at More than $20,000 in gross annual payroll (non-agricultural employers). Sole proprietors, partners and LLC members are not counted as covered workers. Cover through an insurer, a group-funded pool, or self-insurance. Penalty for no coverage is the greater of twice the annual premium or $25,000.
Report new hires and rehires (back after 60 or more days) to the Kansas New Hire Directory.
Kansas's wage payment rules:
$7.25 an hour.
Kansas does not require private employers to provide paid sick leave.
Kansas has no state retirement savings mandate for private employers.
Kansas doesn't require harassment training for private employers. A written policy and a yearly refresher are still best practice.
Display the state's required labor law posters where employees can see them, along with the federal posters. Workers' comp notices come from your carrier.
Kansas does not use a head count. Coverage is required once gross annual payroll goes over $20,000, counting all wages paid in Kansas or elsewhere.
The W-9 gives you the contractor's legal name and tax ID for their 1099. Check the classification first: if you control how and when they work, they may legally be an employee.
File with the IRS and send the contractor a copy by January 31. For payments made in 2026 and later, the reporting threshold is $2,000 per contractor per year (it was $600 before).
Recurring deadlines. Put these on your calendar now.
FinCEN's final rule, effective August 14, 2026, permanently exempts companies formed in the U.S. from beneficial ownership reporting. Ignore letters or emails demanding a BOI filing fee; they're a common scam. Only companies formed outside the U.S. still file.
Every covered Kansas health care provider, including business entities, must keep basic malpractice coverage and pay the HCSF surcharge each compliance period. Business entities pay a 14.0% surcharge rate for 2026.
Kansas moved from annual to biennial reports on January 1, 2024. Your filing year (odd or even) matches the year you first filed with the state; the month and day stay the same.
Keeps your business in good standing with the state. Missing it can lead to penalties or dissolution.
No franchise tax. An entity that does not file within 90 days after the due date can be forfeited.
File unemployment wage reports each quarter and state withholding returns on the schedule you're assigned (if the state has income tax), plus the annual W-2 reconciliation.
Annual if tax due is $1,000 or less a year (due January 25), quarterly up to $5,000, monthly above $5,000; quarterly and monthly returns are due the 25th of the following month. File a zero return if you had no sales; skipping it can bring penalties.
Recurring dates for Kansas and federal filings. A payroll service handles most payroll lines, but you should know they're happening.
| When | What | Filed with |
|---|---|---|
| Apr 15 (every 2 years) | Business Entity Information Report for calendar-year filers | Kansas |
| Jan 1 | New UI tax rates take effect (2026 wage base $15,100) | Kansas |
| Within 20 days of hire | Report new hires and rehires to the Kansas New Hire Directory | Kansas |
| Policy renewal | Pay Health Care Stabilization Fund surcharge with malpractice coverage | Kansas |
| Assigned schedule | Sales tax return (file a zero return if no sales) | Kansas |
| Jan 31 | W-2s to employees and SSA (with W-3); Form 940; 4th-quarter Form 941 | IRS / SSA |
| Jan 31 | 1099-NEC to contractors and IRS | IRS |
| 15th monthly | Federal payroll tax deposit (monthly depositors) | IRS |
| Apr 30 · Jul 31 · Oct 31 | Form 941 for the quarter | IRS |
| Jul 31 | Form 5500 or 5500-SF, if you sponsor a 401(k) (Oct 15 with Form 5558 extension) | DOL (EFAST2) |
Last verified: October 27, 2026
The Kansas state filing fee for an LLC is $85 online, $90 paper. That's the fee to form your LLC with the state. Expect other costs too, such as a registered agent service if you use one, licenses, and annual filings. See the checklist above for each step.
You need to register to collect sales tax in Kansas if you sell taxable products or services there. The state rate is 6.5%, and local taxes may add to it. Registration cost: See state site.
Out-of-state sellers must register once their sales into Kansas pass $100,000 a year. Having an employee or office in Kansas also creates nexus right away.
Recurring filings include: pay the Health Care Stabilization Fund surcharge; file the information report every other year; file the Business Entity Information Report (filed every 2 years); file quarterly unemployment reports and withholding returns; file sales tax returns on time. The deadline calendar above lists the dates.
This guide organizes official requirements. It isn't legal or tax advice. Fees, forms, and deadlines change, so confirm on each linked state page before you file, and talk to an attorney or CPA about your specific situation.
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