Kansas residents buy groceries out of state due to food tax

[n2doc]

WICHITA — Kansas' high sales taxes on groceries have people crossing state lines to shop, particularly residents living in border counties, and the trend is hurting not only low-income families, but also rural grocery stores and local governments, according to a new study.

Kansas lost $345.6 million in food sales in 2013 — costing the state $21.2 million in lost sales tax revenue, according to a recent report by Wichita State University's Kansas Public Finance Center. The center analyzed the latest available food sales data, which does not include last year's food tax hike to 6.5 percent, among the highest in the nation even before local sales taxes are added in. Kansas is one of only 14 states that tax food.

In northwest Kansas, 73-year-old Larry Adams and his wife struggle to make ends meet on the $800 monthly Social Security check he receives. The Logan couple has been doing most of their grocery shopping and non-food item shopping in neighboring Nebraska for about 10 years when they cross the border for doctor's appointments.

Nebraska doesn't have a grocery tax, he said. "It doesn't cost us anything extra to go out of state," Adams said of driving the 80 to 100 miles.


more
http://www2.ljworld.com/news/2016/jan/18/report-kansas-residents-buy-groceries-out-state-du/

[Wellstone ruled]

1. Very common thing with border states

with sales tax and groceries as well as clothing.

[Kalidurga]

2. My parents did that when they lived in Tennessee

IIRC there was a 6% tax on food. They were both on fixed incomes due to disabilities and age so it was a no brainer for them. They would go visit one of my sisters that lived there and on the way home get groceries.

[dixiegrrrrl]

3. My folks did that when we lived next to Idaho border

and later next to Oregon border.

Where we live in Ala not only is there 10% tax on everything but prescriptions, our lil town is so far away from any city that prices are 20% higher here than in , say, Mobile.
Unfortunately, we are not that close to any shopping in a tax free state. So it is 232 mile round trip and takes most of day to shop in Mobile or even in tax free Pensacola.
Internet helps tho.