Does Kansas have an inheritance tax?

No. Kansas repealed its inheritance tax for deaths occurring after July 1, 1998, and later phased out its separate estate tax. An heir who inherits property located in Kansas owes no state inheritance or estate tax regardless of relationship.

Then why ask about my relationship to the deceased?

In states that still levy inheritance tax, the rate depends heavily on how closely the heir is related. We collect it to explain that distinction, but in Kansas every relationship class results in the same zero state tax.

Could I still owe federal estate tax?

Possibly, but only for very large estates. The federal estate tax applies to the estate as a whole, not to individual heirs, and only when the total taxable estate exceeds the federal exemption (about $13.99 million per person in 2025). Most estates fall far below that and owe nothing.

Do I owe income tax on what I inherit?

Generally no. Inherited cash and property are not treated as taxable income to the heir. However, income generated after the inheritance — such as interest, dividends, or gains on later sale — is taxable in the normal way.

What about inheriting an out-of-state asset?

Kansas does not tax inheritances, but if the deceased owned property in a state that still has an inheritance tax (such as Nebraska or Iowa for certain heirs), that other state's rules may apply to that specific asset. Check the laws of the state where the asset is located.

Kansas Inheritance Tax Calculator

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Inheritance tax in Kansas: the short answer

Kansas does not levy an inheritance tax. The state repealed its inheritance tax for deaths after July 1, 1998, and subsequently let its standalone estate tax lapse. That means an heir receiving property in Kansas owes the state zero inheritance or estate tax, no matter whether they are a spouse, child, sibling, or completely unrelated to the deceased.

How it works

This calculator first applies the Kansas rule, which is straightforward: state inheritance tax = $0. It then checks the one place a death can still trigger tax — the federal estate tax, which is levied on the estate (not the heir) only when the total taxable estate exceeds the federal exemption.

kansas inheritance tax = 0   (always)
federal estate exposure:
  if total estate > federal exemption (~$13.99M in 2025)
      taxable above exemption, taxed up to 40%
  else
      no federal estate tax

Because the federal threshold is so high, the overwhelming majority of estates owe nothing at either level.

Example and notes

A daughter inherits a $600,000 home and $200,000 in accounts from a parent who lived in Kansas. Kansas inheritance tax is $0. The total estate is well under the federal exemption, so there is no federal estate tax either — she inherits the full value.

Note the difference between an inheritance tax (paid by the heir, based on relationship) and an estate tax (paid by the estate before distribution). Kansas has neither. Income earned on inherited assets after you receive them is still taxable in the ordinary way, and inherited retirement accounts carry their own distribution rules. Confirm large or complex estates with a Kansas estate attorney.