2026 tax year · Missouri
Local income tax in Missouri
Kansas City is the most expensive of the Missouri levies we hold, $800 on $80,000, on top of federal and state tax.
A 1% earnings tax on wages and on the profits of businesses and self-employed people.
Work partly outside the city and you can reclaim the days you were elsewhere, which most people never do.
What the Missouri levies cost on $80,000
| Jurisdiction | How it is worked out | On $80,000 |
|---|---|---|
| Kansas City | 1% | $800 |
| St. Louis | 1% | $800 |
Does it reach self-employment profit?
Yes. In Missouri the local tax reaches net profit from self-employment, not only wages. No employer withholds it, so it is on you to pay it, usually alongside your quarterly estimates, and it is routinely missed for exactly that reason.
What catches people out in Missouri
Kansas City and St. Louis both charge a 1% earnings tax, and voters in both renewed it on April 7, 2026 for a further five years, so both are certain to be in force.
If you live in the city you pay on everything you earn, wherever you did the work. If you only work there, you pay on the work actually done inside the city. And you can claim a refund for the days you worked elsewhere, which is worth doing if you are partly remote.
Both cities tax the profits of self-employed people explicitly, so a sole proprietor pays 1% on the share of profit attributable to the city.
St. Louis also has a 0.5% payroll expense tax, but that is charged to employers rather than to individuals and is not part of your personal tax bill.
These figures were checked in July 2026 against Missouri city and state revenue sources, and we rate our confidence in them as high. Local rates change by council vote and local referendum far more often than state rates do, so confirm yours with the city or county itself before relying on a number here.
What these words mean
- Sole proprietor
- Someone who works for themselves without forming a company. The default if you started working for yourself and never registered anything, you and the business are the same legal person for tax.
Related
- Local income tax in every state
- 1099 taxes in Missouri
- Paycheck in Missouri
- Quarterly payments in Missouri
- S-corp election in Missouri
General information about how these taxes work, not tax advice. Local rates change by ordinance and referendum, confirm with your jurisdiction or a tax professional before acting on anything here.