How to Register for a Sales Tax ID in Kansas

To register for a sales tax ID in Kansas, apply for Kansas Retailers’ Sales Tax with the Kansas Department of Revenue (KDOR). Applications may be submitted online, by mail, by fax, or in person. Online applicants create a Kansas Department of Revenue Customer Service Center account and complete the business-tax questionnaire. Paper applicants use Form CR-16, Kansas Business Tax Application.

Registration generally applies to businesses selling goods, admissions, or taxable services in Kansas. It can also apply to out-of-state retailers with physical or economic nexus and retailers making sales at temporary Kansas locations. Before applying, identify the business’s ownership, locations, activities, federal EIN status, and anticipated or actual Kansas sales start date.

Determine Whether Your Business Needs to Register

A business should evaluate registration before making taxable Kansas sales rather than assuming that only a permanent storefront needs a sales tax account. Kansas requires businesses selling goods, admissions, or taxable services in the state to register with KDOR. The registration requirement also reaches specified sellers that operate outside the traditional brick-and-mortar model.

Permanent Kansas business

A retailer or taxable-service provider operating from a Kansas location should evaluate its products and services and register when it will make taxable sales. The physical business location is an important part of the application, so confirm the street address before beginning.

Out-of-state retailer

An out-of-state retailer may need Kansas registration if it has physical or economic nexus with the state. Do not base the decision solely on whether the company has a Kansas office. Review where the business operates and how it makes sales into Kansas when determining whether registration applies.

Temporary Kansas seller

A retailer selling at a temporary Kansas location is also included in the businesses that must register. This can matter when a business attends an event, uses a short-term selling space, or otherwise makes sales from a temporary location in the state.

Existing registrant adding another location

A business that already has a Kansas business-tax registration and is only adding a location should submit Form CR-17, Registration Schedule for Additional Business Locations, rather than filing another Form CR-16. Form CR-17 is also used for each additional location included with a new registration.

For broader context on the state account, see the Kansas State Sales Tax Number overview.

Information Needed for the Application

Organizing the application information before opening the online questionnaire or completing the paper form can prevent avoidable inconsistencies. Although the online process uses a questionnaire, the paper application provides a useful picture of the categories a business should be ready to address.

For paper Form CR-16 applications, enter the federal EIN if the business has one. If the business has applied for an EIN but has not received it, enter “Applied For” and provide the number later. An applicant that is not required to obtain an EIN may enter “N/A.” This treatment is specifically provided for Form CR-16 applicants; it should not be read as a general determination of whether a particular business needs a federal EIN.

Choose an Application Method

KDOR accepts Kansas business-tax applications online, by mail, by fax, or in person. Choose a method based on how the business wants to prepare, review, and transmit its information.

Online registration

For online registration, create an account with the Kansas Department of Revenue Customer Service Center and complete the business-tax questionnaire. After an online application is completed, the applicant receives a registration confirmation number and account number. Retain those details with the business’s tax records.

Paper, fax, or in-person registration

The paper application is Form CR-16, Kansas Business Tax Application. A paper applicant selecting Retailers’ Sales Tax must complete Parts 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 12. Review every applicable part before signing so that related ownership, location, activity, and sales-tax information is internally consistent.

A properly completed and signed CR-16 may be faxed to 785-291-3614 or mailed to:

Applicants using a paper form should obtain the version linked from KDOR’s current forms or registration pages. This helps avoid relying on a separately saved or previously downloaded copy when preparing a new application.

There is no fee or bond required for the initial Kansas sales and use tax registration, although KDOR may require a bond later. That rule concerns initial sales and use tax registration and does not determine whether another license or tax type has a separate fee or bond requirement.

Complete the Registration Process

1. Confirm the registration reason. Identify whether the business is making Kansas sales from a permanent location, selling into Kansas as an out-of-state retailer, operating at a temporary Kansas location, or adding a location to an existing registration.
2. Identify the correct filing path. Use the Customer Service Center questionnaire for an online application or Form CR-16 for a paper application. If an already-registered business is only adding a location, use Form CR-17 instead of submitting a new CR-16.
3. Assemble matching business information. Gather ownership details, the business identity, physical street address, business-activity description, NAICS code, Kansas sales start date, and EIN information. Resolve differences among internal records before entering the information.
4. Include every applicable location. Use Form CR-17 for each additional business location, whether the locations accompany a new registration or are added to an existing registration.
5. Complete the appropriate sales-tax entries. Paper applicants selecting Retailers’ Sales Tax should complete Parts 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 12 of CR-16. Online applicants should answer the business-tax questionnaire according to their actual operations.
6. Review and submit. Check names, addresses, dates, tax selections, and location information. Sign a paper application before mailing or faxing it.
7. Keep the submission record. Online applicants should save the registration confirmation number and account number. Paper applicants should retain a copy of the signed application and any accompanying location schedules.

KDOR recommends beginning the application process three to four weeks before the business start date. Mail or fax applicants are specifically advised to submit three to four weeks before starting so the account number and certificate can be issued before tax payments are due. This is advance-planning guidance, not a stated processing-time guarantee.

Additional planning considerations are covered in the Kansas Sales Tax Registration Guide.

Avoid Common Registration Problems

• Using a mailing address as the physical location: Form CR-16 requires a street address for the physical business location. A P.O. box does not satisfy that field.
• Filing a new CR-16 for an added location: If the business is already registered and is only adding a location, submit CR-17 instead. Use a separate CR-17 for each additional location.
• Leaving the EIN field unexplained: Paper applicants waiting for an EIN may enter “Applied For” and submit the number later. Those not required to obtain one may enter “N/A.”
• Omitting required sales-tax parts: A paper applicant selecting Retailers’ Sales Tax must complete Parts 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 12 of CR-16.
• Assuming temporary or remote sales never count: Registration can apply to temporary-location retailers and out-of-state retailers with physical or economic nexus.
• Waiting until sales begin: Build registration into the launch schedule. KDOR recommends starting the application process three to four weeks before the business start date.
• Confusing registration with resale documentation: A Kansas sales tax registration identifies the business’s tax account, while resale documentation serves a different transaction-level purpose. Businesses buying inventory for resale can consult the Kansas Resale Certificate: Supplier Documentation Checklist.

Final Decision Checklist

Before submitting the registration, verify each item that applies to the business:

• The business has determined that it sells goods, admissions, or taxable services in Kansas, or otherwise falls within an applicable out-of-state or temporary-location seller category.
• The selected application method is online, mail, fax, or in person.
• The ownership and business identity information is consistent across the application.
• The physical business location is shown as a street address rather than a P.O. box on Form CR-16.
• The business activity, NAICS code, and actual or expected Kansas retail-sales start date are ready.
• The EIN, “Applied For,” or “N/A” entry is appropriate for the paper applicant’s circumstances.
• Each additional location has a Form CR-17, and an existing registrant adding only a location is not filing an unnecessary new CR-16.
• A paper applicant selecting Retailers’ Sales Tax has completed Parts 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 12.
• The application has been reviewed, signed when submitted on paper, and copied for the business’s records.
• The registration process has been started sufficiently before the planned business start date to follow KDOR’s advance-filing recommendation.