Missouri’s 2026 income tax is graduated, not flat: eight brackets that run from 0% on the first slice of taxable income up to 4.7% at the top. A $75,000 single filer owes the state $2,588. A flat-2% model - the stale schedule many 2026 calculators still carry - would say $1,178, understating the bill by $1,410. Here is the actual schedule, a worked example, and what it does to take-home pay.
The 2026 graduated schedule
Missouri subtracts its own standard deduction first - $16,100 single, $32,200 married filing jointly in the schedule our calculator models - then applies these brackets to the remainder:
| Missouri taxable income (single) | Rate |
|---|---|
| $0 to $1,348 | 0% |
| $1,348 to $2,696 | 2.0% |
| $2,696 to $4,044 | 2.5% |
| $4,044 to $5,392 | 3.0% |
| $5,392 to $6,740 | 3.5% |
| $6,740 to $8,088 | 4.0% |
| $8,088 to $9,436 | 4.5% |
| Above $9,436 | 4.7% |
Worked example: $75,000 single filer
- Gross salary: $75,000
- Missouri standard deduction: -$16,100
- Missouri taxable income: $58,900
- Brackets: the layers up to $9,436 add $263; the remaining $49,464 is taxed at the 4.7% top rate, $2,325
- Missouri tax: $2,588 - an effective 3.5% of gross
Because the top bracket starts at just $9,436 of taxable income, most full-time earners pay the 4.7% marginal rate on the bulk of their income, and the effective rate moves slowly after that: 2.8% of a $50,000 salary, 3.8% of a $100,000 salary, 4.1% of a $150,000 salary.
Missouri take-home pay in 2026: $50k to $150k
Computed for a single filer: 2026 federal brackets with the $16,100 standard deduction, FICA (6.2% Social Security to the $184,500 wage base plus 1.45% Medicare), then Missouri’s schedule above. No 401(k), no credits - the full assumptions are on our methodology page.
| Salary | Federal | FICA | Missouri tax | Take-home | Effective rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| $50,000 | $3,820 | $3,825 | $1,413 | $40,942 | 18.1% |
| $75,000 | $7,670 | $5,738 | $2,588 | $59,005 | 21.3% |
| $100,000 | $13,170 | $7,650 | $3,763 | $75,417 | 24.6% |
| $150,000 | $24,734 | $11,475 | $6,113 | $107,678 | 28.2% |
Why many 2026 calculators still get Missouri wrong
The stale model treats Missouri as a flat 2% tax. Applying 2% to the same taxable income understates the state bill at every one of these salary levels:
| Salary | Actual 2026 Missouri tax | Flat-2% stale model | Stale model understates by |
|---|---|---|---|
| $50,000 | $1,413 | $678 | $735 |
| $75,000 | $2,588 | $1,178 | $1,410 |
| $100,000 | $3,763 | $1,678 | $2,085 |
| $150,000 | $6,113 | $2,678 | $3,435 |
A calculator that shows $1,178 of Missouri tax on $75,000 is not rounding differently - it is running the wrong schedule, and anyone who sets withholding or budgets from it will be short at filing time. We re-verified every state schedule against the enacted 2026 tables in October and corrected our own engine; the correction is recorded in our published correction note. This page and the Missouri paycheck page run the graduated schedule.
Check your own paycheck
Run your exact number in the take-home calculator pre-filled for Missouri - any salary or hourly rate, married filing jointly, and 401(k) contributions are all supported. The Missouri paycheck calculator page carries the full breakdown, per-period tables, and FAQs.
Missouri is one of three states whose 2026 schedules most often trip up stale models - Ohio’s $26,050 floor under its new flat tax and Mississippi’s $10,000 zero bracket are the other two. To see where a Missouri salary goes furthest, the cost of living comparison hub ranks every city pair we cover.
