2026 Missouri withholding
Missouri paycheck calculator
Missouri withholds on an eight-band table topping out at 4.7%, after a $16,100 standard deduction, and rounds to the whole dollar.
Take-home pay
per paycheck · $42,454.10 a year
- Gross pay
- $2,000.00
- Federal income tax
- −$156.15
- Social Security
- −$124.00
- Medicare
- −$29.00
- State income tax
- −$58.00
- Total withheld
- $367.15
18.4% of gross goes to taxes. 2026 rates. Estimate only — your employer's payroll may differ.
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What comes out
What a Missouri paycheck actually loses
- Missouri publishes a two-step formula rather than a single rate: your pay is annualised, the standard deduction comes off — $16,100 filing single, $24,150 head of household — and the remainder runs through a percentage table. The first $1,348 is withheld at 0%, then six more $1,348 bands step from 2% up to 4.5%, and everything above $9,436 of taxable income is withheld at 4.7%. Most full-time pay lands in that top band.
- Missouri rounds withholding to the nearest whole dollar. The Department of Revenue puts it as an instruction to employers, not an option, so the state line on a Missouri stub never carries cents. This calculator does the same.
- If you are married, Form MO W-4 line 1 has a box for “married and spouse does not work”. Ticking it doubles the standard deduction to $32,200 a year. This calculator assumes the box is not ticked — the $16,100 “married and spouse works” figure — because that is what employers apply by default.
- Missouri taxable income starts from federal taxable wages (the formula sends employers to IRS Publication 15 for it), so a traditional 401(k) or a section 125 plan lowers the Missouri figure too.
- Bonuses and overtime paid separately may be withheld at a flat 4.7% instead of run through the table. The result is settled on the return either way.
- ⚠️ Not included: the earnings tax that Kansas City and the City of St. Louis levy on wages earned or residents’ wages. If you work in either city there is a further line on your stub that this state-level figure does not show.
- Federal income tax and FICA still come out of every paycheck — see the breakdown above.
Worked example
$60,000 a year in Missouri
| Per year | Amount |
|---|---|
| Gross pay | $60,000 |
| Federal income tax | −$5,020 |
| Social Security and Medicare | −$4,590 |
| State income tax | −$1,872 |
| Take-home pay | $48,518 |
Filing single, paid every two weeks, no pre-tax deductions and no dependents. Change any of those and the number moves — use the calculator above for your own figures.
Common questions
Missouri, in plain terms
Does Missouri have a state income tax?
Yes. Missouri withholds at 0.00% and then subtracts an allowance that shrinks as your pay rises, following the schedule for your payroll period in the state's own withholding guide.
How much is taken out of a $60,000 salary in Missouri?
On a $60,000 salary paid every two weeks, roughly $11,482 a year is withheld — federal income tax, Social Security, Medicare and state income tax — leaving about $48,518 in take-home pay. Your own figure depends on your W-4, pre-tax deductions and filing status.
How do I change how much is withheld in Missouri?
Federal withholding is set by your Form W-4. Missouri withholding is set separately by Form MO W-4, which you give to your employer. Updating either one changes your next paycheck, not past ones.
Why is my real paycheck different from this estimate?
Employers can use several IRS-approved withholding methods, and your pay stub may include deductions this calculator does not know about — union dues, garnishments, employer benefit splits, local taxes or a mid-year pay change. Treat this as an estimate and check it against your stub.
Sources for these rates
- 2026 Missouri Withholding Tax Formula (Missouri Department of Revenue)
- Missouri Department of Revenue — Employer Withholding Tax
- IRS Publication 15-T (2026) — federal percentage method
- IRS Publication 15 (2026) — Social Security and Medicare
Tax year 2026. Rates last checked 2026-08-20. Estimates only — not tax, payroll or financial advice, and not affiliated with the IRS or any state revenue department.