Missouri Paycheck Calculator 2026 — 4.7% Top Rate + Kansas City earnings tax Local Tax

How much do I take home in Missouri? — short answer first

Missouri runs a heavily simplified progressive income tax — 8 brackets between 0% and 4.7% (2024 baseline; phasing down toward 4.5% by 2026). The first $1,273 of taxable income is taxed at 0% — effectively boosting the standard deduction equivalent for lower-income filers. Combined with a standard deduction matching federal ($14,600 single / $29,200 joint), Missouri's effective tax burden is among the most competitive in the Midwest. Kansas City and St. Louis levy a 1% earnings tax on wages earned in city (residents + workers) — a $750 annual hit at $75K gross. Missouri has no broad reciprocity agreements.

net_pay     = gross − federal_tax − fica − state_tax − local_tax − pre_tax
federal_tax = Σ (federal_bracket × rate) on (gross − std_dev − 401k − hsa)
fica        = MIN(wages, $181K) × 6.2% + wages × 1.45% + add'l Medicare
state_tax    = Σ (bracket_amount × bracket_rate)    // top rate 4.70% in Missouri
local_tax    = wage_tax + city_surcharge    // Missouri has local payroll layers

How Missouri taxes payroll in 2026

Missouri runs an 8-bracket progressive income tax schedule under §143.011 RSMo. The 2024 brackets (and the 2026 projected base — phase-down depends on revenue triggers) range from 0% on the first $1,273 of taxable income to a top rate of 4.7% above $8,911. Bracket thresholds are identical for all filing statuses — Missouri does not differentiate single vs. joint vs. HOH at the bracket level. SB 3 / SB 4 (2022-2023) substantially simplified Missouri's previous 10-bracket structure (which had a 6% top rate) and triggered annual phase-downs contingent on state revenue meeting growth thresholds. The 2024 top rate was 4.8%, declining to 4.7% in 2025 and projected 4.6% for 2026 (assuming triggers met). Missouri's standard deduction now matches the federal Internal Revenue Code: $14,600 single / $29,200 joint (2024) — significantly more generous than Missouri's pre-2024 baseline. The personal exemption was repealed in 2018 as part of broader simplification. Kansas City and St. Louis both levy a 1% earnings tax on wages earned within city limits — applying to BOTH residents and non-resident workers. A Kansas City office worker living in suburban Lee's Summit still owes the 1% on wages earned at the KC office. A St. Louis resident working in suburban Clayton owes 1% as a resident regardless of work location. The earnings tax shows on pay stubs as a separate line. Missouri has no broad reciprocity agreements — workers earning income across state lines file in both their state of residence and the working state, claiming a credit on the residence return. This is more friction than reciprocity arrangements like KY-OH or IL-WI.

Missouri state income tax brackets (single filer, 2026)

Standard deduction (single): $14,600 · top marginal rate 4.70%. Married filing jointly + head of household brackets follow the same shape with adjusted thresholds.

Missouri city callouts

• St. Louis — 1% earnings tax on wages earned in city; combined effective 5.7% at top brackets; property tax ~1.36% effective.
• Kansas City — 1% earnings tax on wages earned in KC; combined effective 5.7%; property tax ~1.35% effective; cross-border commuting from KS adds complexity.
• Springfield + Columbia — No local income tax; only state Missouri rates apply; combined sales tax 8.1-8.5%; popular retirement and university metros.

Local tax stack in Missouri

• Kansas City earnings tax (both) — 1.00% of FICA wages
• St. Louis earnings tax (both) — 1.00% of FICA wages

How to use this calculator

1. Enter your annual gross salary. Pre-tax, what your employer pays before any deductions.
2. Pick filing status. Single, married filing jointly, married filing separately, or head of household. Drives both federal and Missouri brackets.
3. Add 401(k) and HSA contributions (optional). Both lower your federal taxable income; HSA also lowers FICA wages.
4. Pick your locality. Drives local-tax stacking (NYC, Yonkers, etc). NONE if you live outside any locality with local payroll tax.
5. Read the verdict. Annual + monthly + bi-weekly take-home, federal + state + local breakdown, and effective tax rate.

Common mistakes

• Confusing gross with adjusted gross. The calculator wants your gross salary — what your employer pays before any pre-tax deductions or contributions. If you enter your W-2 Box 1 (already net of 401k), the math will under-count your tax.
• Forgetting that 401(k) is still subject to FICA. Traditional 401(k) reduces federal income tax but NOT Social Security + Medicare. Only HSA (through payroll) reduces both.
• Using the wrong filing status for state tax. Missouri uses the same filing status categories as the IRS, but bracket thresholds differ from federal. Pick the status that matches your actual tax filing — not just what gives the best number.
• Not selecting your locality. If you live in a city with local payroll tax (NYC, Yonkers, etc.), the locality dropdown above is required for accurate math.
• Ignoring multi-state implications. If you work in Missouri but live elsewhere (or vice versa), you may owe taxes in both states with a credit between them. This calculator assumes you both live and work in Missouri.

US payroll terminology — quick reference

Eight terms that show up on every payslip. Skim the snippet; expand the card for the longer explanation. Same terms apply across all 51 state-paycheck calculators — only the Missouri state line in each formula changes.

Methodology & Sources

Federal income tax + FICA: IRS Pub 15-T 2026 projected brackets + Social Security Administration 2026 wage base ($181,000) + Medicare 1.45% (no cap) + Additional Medicare 0.9% above $200K/$250K thresholds. Missouri state income tax: Missouri Department of Revenue — 2024 tax tables (2026 projected) — last verified 2026-05-13. Local taxes (NYC + Yonkers + similar) sourced from the same state DOR publication. Brackets refresh annually — most state DORs publish updates in Q4 preceding the tax year. Federal 2026 figures are projected from 2025 (Rev. Proc. 2024-40) with ~2.5% inflation adjustment; refresh against IRS October release.

Frequently asked questions

Want to compare Missouri take-home pay against another state? Use the national take-home pay calculator with a flat-rate state input. To see what you'd save by changing your 401(k) contribution, drop the gross salary into the salary-to-hourly calculator. For cost-of-living adjustments when comparing jobs across states, the cost of living calculator adjusts for housing + groceries + tax differences between metros.