How to Do Payroll in Kansas: A Step-by-Step Guide

Last reviewed: July 2026

Kansas payroll isn't complicated compared to some states, but it does involve three separate agencies and a handful of forms that are easy to overlook the first time you hire someone. Here's the order to tackle it in.

Step 1: Get Your Federal EIN

Every Kansas employer needs a federal Employer Identification Number before touching any state paperwork. Apply free at IRS.gov and you'll have the number in about 15 minutes. You'll use it on every state registration that follows, so get it first.

Step 2: Register with Kansas State Agencies

New Kansas employers need at least two state accounts: a withholding tax account with the Kansas Department of Revenue and an unemployment insurance account with the Kansas Department of Labor. If you're forming a new LLC or corporation, the Kansas Business One Stop portal links entity filing, tax registration, and UI registration in one place.

From the Payroll Desk

Don't wait for your first payroll run to register. Kansas processing can take a few days, and you're required to have your account numbers in place before you deposit any withheld tax.

Step 3: Set Up State Withholding

Kansas has its own withholding certificate, separate from the federal W-4: Form K-4, the Kansas Employee's Withholding Allowance Certificate. Every new hire should complete both forms before their first paycheck. If someone doesn't turn in a K-4, withhold as though they claimed no allowances.

Register your withholding account through the Kansas Department of Revenue. Your filing frequency (annual, quarterly, monthly, semi-monthly, or quad-monthly) is assigned based on how much you withhold per year — details are in the department's KW-100 Withholding Tax Guide.

Step 4: Register for Kansas SUI

State Unemployment Insurance (SUI) is a Kansas employer-paid tax administered by the Kansas Department of Labor. New employers start at a standard rate of 2.7% on the first $14,000 of each employee's wages, before an experience rate kicks in based on your claims history.

Most Kansas employers also need workers' compensation coverage once gross annual payroll passes $20,000 — check current requirements with the KDOL Division of Workers Compensation.

Step 5: Pick a Pay Frequency and Handle Final Pay

Kansas law sets a floor, not a ceiling: employers must pay wages at least once per calendar month on a regular, announced payday, with the pay period ending no more than 15 days before that date. In practice, almost every small Kansas employer runs biweekly or semi-monthly payroll rather than the bare legal minimum, since employees expect more frequent pay and it simplifies overtime math.

When someone leaves, earned wages are due no later than the next regular payday they would have received had they stayed. Kansas doesn't require you to pay out unused vacation unless your own written policy promises it.

New hires also need to be reported to the state within 20 days of their start date through the Kansas New Hire Reporting Center — see our New Hire Reporting guide for the mechanics.

Step 6: Deposit and Filing Calendar

Once you're running live payroll, three separate calendars apply:

• Federal: Deposit withheld federal income tax and FICA on the IRS semi-weekly or monthly schedule, then file Form 941 quarterly.
• Kansas withholding: Deposit on the frequency KDOR assigns you (annual through quad-monthly), based on your KW-100 lookback amount.
• Kansas SUI: File wage reports and pay unemployment tax quarterly with the Kansas Department of Labor.

Missing any one of these deadlines triggers penalties on top of the tax owed, so most small employers either use payroll software that tracks all three calendars automatically or use our paycheck calculator to sanity-check withholding amounts before they deposit.

Step 7: Year-End W-2s

By January 31, issue Form W-2 to every employee and file copies with the Social Security Administration, plus your final Form 941 and Form 940 for the year. Kansas withholding reported on W-2 Box 17 needs to reconcile with what you actually deposited to KDOR across the year — run that check before you file, not after.

If you'd rather have your W-4 questions answered interactively than dig through IRS worksheets, our W-4 Helper walks employees through the current federal form step by step.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the basic steps to run payroll in Kansas?

Get a federal EIN from the IRS, register with the Kansas Department of Revenue for state withholding, register with the Kansas Department of Labor for unemployment tax, collect W-4 and K-4 forms from each employee, set a compliant pay schedule, then run payroll, deposit taxes on schedule, and file quarterly and year-end returns.

Does Kansas have its own state withholding form?

Yes. Kansas employees complete Form K-4, the Kansas Employee's Withholding Allowance Certificate, in addition to the federal W-4. If an employee doesn't return a K-4, you withhold as if they claimed zero allowances.

How often do Kansas employers need to pay employees?

Kansas law requires employers to pay wages at least once per calendar month on a regular, pre-announced payday, and the pay period covered can end no more than 15 days before that payday. Most small employers choose biweekly or semi-monthly schedules instead of the monthly minimum.

What is the Kansas SUI rate for new employers?

New Kansas employers pay a standard unemployment insurance rate of 2.7% on the first $14,000 of each employee's wages, until the Kansas Department of Labor assigns an experience rate based on your claims history.