All states · Updated for 2026
How to pay a nanny in Kansas
Everything a Kansas family has to do to pay a nanny, housekeeper or caregiver legally: the taxes, the registrations, the forms, and the deadlines. CareTab does the math and reminds you; you keep paying them the way you already do.
The short version
- Federal: withhold 7.65% Social Security and Medicare from their pay and match it; pay FUTA (0.6% of the first $7,000.00); file Schedule H with your 1040; give them a W-2 by Jan 31.
- Kansas unemployment tax: register with Kansas Department of Labor (KDOL), Unemployment Insurance Tax after household (domestic) employers: $1,000 or more in cash wages in a calendar quarter (federal household-employer standard; not re-verified against a kdol publication in this pass); new employers pay 1.75% on the first $15,100.00 of wages; file K-CNS 100 Quarterly Wage Report and Unemployment Tax Return (KDOL online) quarterly.
- Kansas income tax: withholding is voluntary for household employers (form K-4).
- New hire report: within 20 days of their start date.
- Minimum wage: $7.25/hour. Overtime: 1.5× over 40 h/week for live-out nannies.
- Paid sick leave: not mandated by the state.
- Workers' compensation: Not verified in this pass. Kansas exempts employers whose gross annual payroll is $20,000 or less, which covers most household employers — confirm with the Kansas Division of Workers Compensation.
Step by step
- Get an EIN from the IRS (free, online, 10 minutes).
- Have your nanny complete Form I-9 and, if they want federal income tax withheld, a W-4 and K-4.
- File the Kansas new-hire report within 20 days at the state site.
- Register with Kansas Department of Labor (KDOL), Unemployment Insurance Tax once you cross household (domestic) employers: $1,000 or more in cash wages in a calendar quarter (federal household-employer standard; not re-verified against a kdol publication in this pass) (registration).
- Each payday: track hours, pay at least minimum wage and overtime, withhold 7.65%, give a pay stub.
- Each quarter: file K-CNS 100 Quarterly Wage Report and Unemployment Tax Return (KDOL online). Last day of the month after each quarter. 2026 taxable wage base $15,100 (25% of the statewide average annual wage under 2024 HB 2570; rises toward 40% by 2030) and new-employer rate 1.75% (5.55% construction) per the Kansas Legislative Research Department summary of K.S.A. 44-710a.
- January: W-2 to your nanny, W-2/W-3 to the SSA, KW-3 Annual Withholding Tax Return (with W-2s) to the state. April: Schedule H with your 1040.
Run your numbers
Use the free Kansas nanny tax calculator: take-home pay, what you withhold, and your total cost including employer taxes.
Frequently asked
Do I have to pay nanny taxes in Kansas?
Yes. Once you pay a household employee $3,000.00 or more in a year you owe Social Security and Medicare (7.65% withheld from your nanny and 7.65% from you), and FUTA once you pay $1,000.00 in any quarter. Kansas unemployment tax applies after household (domestic) employers: $1,000 or more in cash wages in a calendar quarter (federal household-employer standard; not re-verified against a kdol publication in this pass).
Do I withhold Kansas income tax from my nanny?
Kansas does not require household employers to withhold state income tax; you can withhold voluntarily using K-4 if your nanny asks.
What forms do I file in Kansas?
K-CNS 100 Quarterly Wage Report and Unemployment Tax Return (KDOL online) quarterly with Kansas Department of Labor (KDOL), Unemployment Insurance Tax, KW-3 Annual Withholding Tax Return (with W-2s) annually, a W-2 for your nanny and W-3 to the SSA by Jan 31, and Schedule H with your federal return.
Does my nanny get overtime in Kansas?
Live-out nannies get 1.5× over 40 hours a week. Live-in nannies are exempt from overtime in Kansas. Kansas state minimum wage equals the federal $7.25; Kansas's own overtime threshold (46 hours) applies only to employers not covered by FLSA, and household employers paying $1,000+ per quarter are FLSA-covered, so 40 hours applies. Live-in domestic workers are exempt from overtime under FLSA.
What is the minimum wage for a nanny in Kansas?
$7.25 per hour in 2026.
Pay your Kansas nanny legally for $14.99/month
Hours, paychecks with every tax computed, pay stubs, PTO, and a filing calendar with K-CNS 100 Quarterly Wage Report and Unemployment Tax Return (KDOL online) pre-filled. 14-day free trial, no card needed.
Start free trialSources: KW-100 Kansas Withholding Tax Guide — withholding rates for wages paid on and after July 1, 2024 (current edition; no separate 2026 revision published); Kansas Legislative Research Department — Kansas Unemployment Insurance Trust Fund (2026 taxable wage base $15,100; new employer rate 1.75%). Rules for 2026 are provisional. General information, not tax or legal advice.