Sunflower State News

Small business owners in Kansas are advocating for Senate Bill 41, which aims to provide tax relief to retailers across the state. During a session with the Senate Assessment & Taxation Committee, Dan Murray, the State Director of the National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB), highlighted the challenges faced by small businesses in managing sales taxes.

Murray emphasized that small businesses are responsible for collecting and remitting both state and local sales taxes, a task he described as burdensome without compensation. "Small businesses are tasked with collecting and remitting state and local sales taxes – essentially playing the tax man for the state of Kansas – but don’t get compensated for the long hours and administrative burden of compliance," he stated.

He further noted that unlike larger retailers, small businesses lack extensive accounting resources, making compliance more challenging. Murray added, "Unlike big box stores, this burden weighs heavily on our small retailers – who don’t have an army of accountants and resources at their disposal."

The proposed bill would offer a modest credit to alleviate some of these challenges. "By providing a modest credit for compliance, this bill helps even the playing field for our small businesses," Murray explained. He also expressed continued commitment to working with legislators to advance SB 41 through the legislative process.