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Missouri Sales Tax Guide (2026)
4.225% at state level, and a quirk no other state shares at this scale: a locality’s sales tax does not automatically become its use tax.[1]
Sales Tax at a Glance
Local sales tax and local use tax are separate levies
Under Missouri law a city or county that has adopted a local sales tax does not automatically impose a matching local use tax. It takes its own voter referendum, and many jurisdictions never held one.[4]
Missouri sales tax calculator
Estimate only. Missouri has over two thousand taxing jurisdictions and separate sales and use rate tables, so confirm the correct table before invoicing.[2] Talk to CrownGlobe about use tax mapping.
Missouri Sales Tax Rates, Nexus & the two rate tables
Missouri state rate components
| General revenue | 3% |
| Education | 1% |
| Conservation | 0.125% |
| Parks & soils | 0.10% |
| State total | 4.225% |
The state rate is fixed by constitutional earmarks, which is why it is an unusual figure rather than a round number.[1]
Who must register
Either trigger applies: economic nexus at $100,000 or more of taxable Missouri sales in the previous twelve-month period, measured quarterly and with no transaction-count test, or any physical presence. Missouri was the last state to adopt economic nexus, effective 1 January 2023.[5]
Missouri publishes two rate tables: one for sales tax and one for vendor’s use tax. Using the sales table for remote deliveries over-collects wherever the locality never approved a local use tax.[4]
Sales Tax Registration and Filing
Registration is free, but Missouri requires a sales tax bond.
How to register
- Confirm nexus→
- Form 2643 application→
- Post required bond→
- Licence issued→
- File electronically
The bond is generally set at twice the estimated monthly liability and may be released after two years of timely filing and payment.[8]
Filing & due dates
| Frequency | Assigned when | Due |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly | Over $500 tax a month | 20th of next month |
| Quarterly | $45–$500 a month | Last day after quarter |
| Annual | Under $45 a month | Jan 31 |
Late filing costs 5% of the tax due per month up to 25%, plus interest, and a timely-filing discount of 2% of the tax due is available to sellers who file and pay on time.[9]
Sales Tax & Nexus Pricing
Multi Tax Filing – $50 Per State/Month
| Service | What’s Included |
|---|---|
| Multi-state registration | Nexus tracking, permit setup, and state agency coordination. |
| Monthly filing | Sales tax returns filed in every registered state. |
| Exemption & audit support | Certificate handling and notice response. |
Taxable vs. exempt
Missouri taxes tangible goods and a short list of enumerated services, leaves most professional services out, and applies a reduced state rate to food.[1]
Generally taxable
- Tangible retail goods§144.020 RSMo
- Prewritten software on mediaTangible delivery
- Prepared food & restaurant mealsFull rate
- Utilities & telecommunications§144.020.1(3)
- Admissions & amusements§144.020.1(2)
- Accommodations§144.020.1(6)
Exempt or reduced rate
- Food qualifying for reduced rate1.225% state rate
- Prescription drugs§144.030.2(18)
- SaaS & hosted softwareNo tangible transfer
- Manufacturing machinery§144.030.2(4)
- Most professional servicesNot enumerated
- Sales for resaleForm 149
Glossary of key terms
- Local use tax
- A locality’s tax on remote purchases, which Missouri requires to be approved separately from local sales tax.
- Vendor’s use tax
- The tax an out-of-state seller collects on Missouri deliveries, reported on its own return.
- Sales tax bond
- Security Missouri requires at registration, usually twice the estimated monthly liability.
- Timely filing discount
- A 2% reduction in tax due for sellers who file and pay by the deadline.
- Form 149
- Missouri’s exemption certificate, used for resale and other exempt purchases.
- MyTax Missouri
- The Department of Revenue portal for registration, filing and payment.
Sales Tax FAQs
4.225% at state level. Cities, counties and special districts add their own taxes, so combined rates commonly run between 7% and 10% and can reach roughly 12% in some special districts.
Because a local sales tax does not automatically become a local use tax. Under section 144.757 RSMo the locality must approve the use tax in its own referendum, and many never did. Missouri therefore publishes two rate tables.
$100,000 or more of taxable sales into Missouri in the previous twelve months, measured quarterly. There is no transaction-count test. Missouri was the last state in the country to adopt economic nexus, effective 1 January 2023.
Yes, but qualifying food carries a reduced state rate of 1.225% instead of 4.225%. Local sales taxes still apply at their full rates, so groceries are not tax free.
No. Missouri taxes software only where tangible personal property changes hands, so software accessed remotely is outside the base. Software delivered on physical media remains taxable.
Yes. Missouri requires a sales tax bond at registration, generally twice the estimated monthly liability. It can be released after two years of consistently timely filing and payment.
Sources & methodology
- MO DOR – Sales & Use Tax
- MO DOR – Sales Tax Rate Tables
- MO DOR – Food Sales Tax
- MO DOR – Use Tax
- MO DOR – Remote Sellers
- MO DOR – Taxable Services
- MO DOR – MyTax Missouri
- MO DOR – Bond Requirements
- MO DOR – Filing & Penalties
- MO DOR – Registration
- MO DOR – Exemption Certificates
- MO DOR – Marketplace Facilitators
- MO DOR – Local Tax Changes
- Missouri Revised Statutes – Chapter 144
Need help with Missouri sales tax compliance?
CrownGlobe helps businesses handle registration, nexus tracking, filings, and audit response across every state.