TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Tax collections in Kansas exceeded the state's expectations in January for the 18th month in a row and created a 14.5% surplus for the month.

The state Department of Revenue reported Tuesday that Kansas collected $944.5 million in taxes last month when the official forecast had predicted $824.9 million. The difference was $119.6 million.

Since the current 2022 budget year began July 1, the state's tax collections have been 4% above expectations, with a surplus of $203 million. The state has collected more than $5.2 billion over the past seven months when it anticipated taki...