16 January 2024
WICHITA, Kan. (KSNW) — Many people across Kansas may not realize they qualify for tax refunds, and they may miss the opportunity to file for them.
“As everybody’s gearing up for filing taxes, I have some potential refunds that they may be eligible for,” Sedgwick County Clerk Kelly Arnold said on KSN News at Noon on Tuesday. “These are property tax refunds through the State of Kansas.”
Arnold spoke about three different refunds. Applicants can only file for one of these, not all three. Also, applicants must wait to file for the refund until after they have filed their income tax return.
The Homestead Refund is a rebate for the property taxes paid by homeowners. The maximum refund is $700. To qualify, an applicant must:
Be 55 years or older,
Or be totally and permanently disabled or blind for the entire year, regardless of your age,
Or have a dependent child under the age of 18 living with you the entire year,
And have a 2023 income of $40,500 or less.
The Safe Senior Refund (SAFESR) refunds up to 75% of 2023 property taxes to low-income seniors. To qualify, an applicant must:
Have been a resident of Kansans for all of 2023,
Owned a home in Kansas during 2023,
Be 65 years or older for all of 2023,
Have a 2023 household income of $23,700 or less,
Have a home value no higher than $350,000,
And have no delinquent property taxes.
The Senior and Disabled Veterans Property Tax Refund (SVR Homestead) refunds the difference in property taxes between now and a previous year and freezes the property tax amount at a lower level. To qualify, an applicant must:
Have a 2023 income of $53,600 or less,
And be 65 years or older for all of 2023,
Or be a disabled veteran with 50% or more military disability, disabled in the line of duty and honorably discharged,
Or be the surviving spouse of a disabled veteran receiving the SVR and who has not remarried,
Or be the surviving spouse of a person 65 or older receiving the SVR and who has not remarried,
And have a home valued at less than $350,000.
The tax refunds come from the Kansas Department of Revenue.
“These are state programs that my office, as county clerk, will help assist taxpayers to file for, and you can go online and look for these, or you can come to my office, and we will be happy to prepare and file these for you on your behalf,” Arnold said.
The Sedgwick County Clerk’s Office is on the sixth floor of the Ruffin Building, 100 N. Broadway, Suite 620, Wichita. It is open from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. each weekday. You can also call the office at 316-660-9222.
If you want to try to do the forms yourself, you can download them from the Kansas Department of Revenue website:
To file the forms, you will need:
Your refund amount from your 2022 claim,
Your banking information if you want direct deposit,
All information regarding any household income, including for people who live in the home but filed separate taxes,
If your claim involves a disability, the day, month and year in which you first became eligible for disability (the date is available through the Social Security office), and
Personal information of each person in the home: name, date of birth, and Social Security number.
The deadline to file is April 15.
Arnold said that Wichita residents who qualify for one of the programs will also qualify for a new City of Wichita refund program.
“We encourage anybody that does apply for one of our programs to go ahead and call the City of Wichita and try to qualify for that,” Arnold said.
He said successful applicants could get back all of their property taxes for 2023. Click here to learn how to file for the City of Wichita program.