§ 79-32,107 — Penalties and interest for noncompliance, exception to penalty imposition for certain underpayments; failure of employer to deduct and withhold; failure to collect, account for and pay tax; attempts to evade or defeat tax

(a) All penalties and interest prescribed by K.S.A. 79-3228, and amendments thereto, for noncompliance with the income tax laws of Kansas shall be applicable for noncompliance with the provisions of the Kansas withholding and declaration of estimated tax act relating to withholding tax which shall be enforced in the same manner as the Kansas income tax act. A penalty at the same rate per annum prescribed by K.S.A. 79-2968(b), and amendments thereto, for interest upon delinquent or unpaid taxes shall be applied and added to a taxpayer's amount of underpayment of estimated tax due from the date the estimated tax payment was due until the same is paid or until the 15 th day of the fourth month following the close of the taxable year for which such estimated tax is a credit, whichever date is earlier, but such penalty shall not be added if the total amount thereof does not exceed $1. For purposes of this subsection, the amount of underpayment of estimated tax shall be the excess of the amount of the installment which would be required to be paid if the estimated tax were equal to 90% of the tax shown on the return for the taxable year or, if no return was filed, 90% of the tax for such year, over the amount, if any, of the installment paid on or before the last date prescribed for payment. Amounts due from any employer on account of withholding or from any taxpayer for estimated tax may be collected by the director in the manner provided for the collection of state income tax in K.S.A. 79-3235, and amendments thereto. For purposes of this subsection, "underpayment of tax" means the difference between the amount of tax actually paid and the amount of tax which would have been required to be paid to avoid penalty pursuant to subsection (b) or (c).
(b) No penalty or interest shall be imposed upon any individual with respect to any underpayment of any installment if the total amount of all payments of estimated tax made on or before the last date prescribed for the payment of such installment equals or exceeds the amount which would have been required to be paid on or before such date if the estimated tax were whichever of the following is the least:
(1) The tax shown on the return of the individual for the preceding taxable year, if a return showing a liability for tax was filed by the individual for the preceding taxable year;
(2) zero if no return was required to be filed or if the tax liability on the individual's return was less than $200 for the preceding taxable year;
(3) an amount equal to 66 2 / 3 %, in the case of individuals referred to in K.S.A. 79-32,102(b), and amendments thereto, and 90%, in the case of all other individuals, of the tax for the taxable year computed by placing on an annualized basis, pursuant to rules and regulations adopted by the secretary of revenue, the taxable income for the months in the taxable year ending before the month in which the installment is required to be made.
(c) No penalty or interest shall be imposed upon any corporation with respect to any underpayment of any installment of estimated tax if the total amount of all payments of estimated tax made on or before the last date prescribed for the payment of such installment equals or exceeds the amount which would have been required to be paid on or before such date if the estimated tax were whichever of the following is the least:
(1) The tax shown on the return of the corporation for the preceding taxable year, if a return showing a liability for tax was filed by the corporation for the preceding taxable year, or zero if no return was required to be filed, or if the tax liability on the corporation's return was less than $500 for the preceding taxable year; or
(2) (A) an amount equal to 90% of the tax for the taxable year computed by placing on an annualized basis the taxable income:
(i) For the first three months of the taxable year, in the case of the installment required to be paid in the fourth month;
(ii) for the first three months or for the first five months of the taxable year, in the case of the installment required to be paid in the sixth month;
(iii) for the first six months or for the first eight months of the taxable year in the case of the installment required to be paid in the ninth month; and
(iv) for the first nine months or for the first 11 months of the taxable year, in the case of the installment required to be paid in the 12 th month of the taxable year.
(B) For purposes of this paragraph (2), the taxable income shall be placed on an annualized basis by:
(i) Multiplying by 12 the taxable income referred to in subparagraph (A); and
(ii) dividing the resulting amount by the number of months in the taxable year (three, five, six, eight, nine, or 11, as the case may be) referred to in subparagraph (A).
(d) If the employer, in violation of the provisions of this act, fails to deduct and withhold under this chapter, and thereafter the tax against which such withholding may be credited is paid, the amount otherwise required to be deducted and withheld shall not be collected from the employer. This subsection shall in no case relieve the employer from liability for any penalties or additions to the tax otherwise applicable in respect of such failure to deduct and withhold.
(e) Any person required to collect, truthfully account for, and pay over any tax imposed by this act, who willfully fails to collect such tax, or truthfully account for and pay over such tax, or willfully attempts in any manner to evade or defeat any such tax or the payment thereof, shall in addition to the other penalties of this section be liable to a penalty equal to the total amount of the tax evaded, or not collected, or not accounted for and paid over. As used in this section, "willfully" has the same meaning as such term has for federal tax purposes in 26 U.S.C. § 6672.
(f) (1) In case of failure by any employer required by K.S.A. 79-3298(b), and amendments thereto, to remit any amount of withheld taxes by the date prescribed therefor, unless it is shown that such failure is due to reasonable cause and not due to willful neglect, there shall be imposed upon such person a penalty of:
(A) 2% of the amount of the underpayment if remitted within one to five days;
(B) 5% of the amount of the underpayment if remitted within six to 15 days;
(C) 10% of the amount of the underpayment if remitted after 15 days; and
(D) 15% of the amount of the underpayment if remitted after 15 days and the department has issued a notice to the person regarding the underpayment but the amount of the underpayment was not remitted within 10 days of issuance of the notice.
(2) For purposes of this subsection, the term "underpayment" means the excess of the amount of the tax required to be withheld and remitted over the amount, if any, remitted on or before the date prescribed therefor. The failure to remit for any withholding period shall be deemed not to continue beyond the last date prescribed for filing the annual return as required by K.S.A. 79-3298(d), and amendments thereto. Penalty and interest as prescribed by K.S.A. 79-3228, and amendments thereto, shall not begin to accrue under subsection (a) on the amount of any such underpayment until the due date of the annual return for the calendar year in which such failure to remit occurs.
(g) Whenever the secretary or the secretary's designee determines that the failure of the taxpayer to comply with the provisions of subsections (a), (e) or (f) was due to reasonable causes, the secretary or the secretary's designee may waive or reduce any of such penalties and may reduce the interest rate to the underpayment rate prescribed and determined for the applicable period under section 6621 of the federal internal revenue code as in effect on January 1, 1994, upon making a record of the reasons therefor.

Legislative History

L. 1965, ch. 525, § 14; L. 1977, ch. 343, § 1; L. 1979, ch. 320, § 1; L. 1980, ch. 316, § 9; L. 1981, ch. 385, § 4; L. 1983, ch. 326, § 2; L. 1984, ch. 351, § 16; L. 1989, ch. 296, § 3; L. 1993, ch. 22, § 1; L. 1994, ch. 95, § 2; L. 1997, ch. 126, § 27; L. 2010, ch. 123, § 10; L. 2024, ch. 81, § 17; July 1.