A major retailer overtaxed customers in Kansas. Here’s how you can request a refund
If you shopped at a Kansas Walmart on New Year’s Day you might have been overtaxed.
While Jan. 1 marked the first day the grocery sales tax in Kansas was cut to 4%, many shoppers in Wichita were confused to find their Walmart receipts not reflecting the change, per KWCH reporting.
Instead, some shoppers were charged the old rate — 6.5% — and the new rate on top of it, plus any additional applicable local sales taxes.
The Kansas Department of Revenue and Walmart confirmed in an email to the Eagle the issue had been resolved as of Jan. 2.
“On Jan. 1, after the reduced state sales tax rate on food items went into effect in Kansas, some customers were mistakenly charged the higher, outdated rate, along with the new rate. The issue has been resolved, and we apologize for any inconvenience,” a Walmart spokesperson said in an email to the Eagle.
What to do if you were overcharged by Walmart
If you were one of the shoppers mistakenly overcharged, you can go to any Walmart in Kansas with your receipt to receive a refund.
The tax cut includes basic grocery items and food that is not prepared, like bottled water, bread, milk and produce. It does not include prepared foods, tobacco and alcohol.
This won’t be the last time the sales tax on groceries drops in the state. The drop to 4% is the first step in a process to get rid of the food sales tax altogether. Next year, the rate will drop even lower, to 2%, before it’s eliminated in 2025.
This story was originally published January 4, 2023 at 2:44 PM.
