Budget & Taxes (Sales Tax)

in committee · Missouri · House May 15, 2026

HB 2550: Authorizes a transient guest tax for general revenue purposes in University City upon voter approval

HB 2550 proposes allowing University City (a city with 33,000-36,500 residents) to impose a tax on short-term hotel and motel stays, but only if voters approve it. The tax would apply to guests staying 31 days or less per quarter, capped at 8% of the room charge per night, and must be listed separately from other fees. Proceeds would fund general city operations, not specific projects. The bill requires a voter referendum with a specific ballot question, and the tax would only take effect after a majority votes "yes" at an election. (Note: This bill is procedural and requires voter approval before implementation.)

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesAuthorizes new transient guest tax (max 8%) for general city operations funding, increasing local revenue sources for budget purposes.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Business Taxes Revenue Sales Tax

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in committee · Missouri · Senate Feb 25, 2026

SB 1017: Authorizes a state sales tax exemption for food

SB 1017 would exempt food purchases from the state sales tax, directly affecting consumers who buy groceries and prepared food. The bill would remove the sales tax on eligible food items, making them cheaper for shoppers. Currently pending in committee (scheduled for a hearing on 2026-01-28), it has not yet been voted on or enacted. This is a straightforward policy change with no additional mechanisms described in the provided context.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesExempts food from sales tax, providing direct tax relief for consumers (especially lower-income households purchasing necessities), aligning with tax relief indicators for middle/lower income.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Sales Tax

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in committee · Missouri · Senate Feb 25, 2026

SB 1239: Authorizes a sales tax exemption for food

SB 1239 would exempt food items from state sales tax if passed. This would directly benefit consumers purchasing groceries and prepared food, as they would no longer pay sales tax on these items. The bill's key provision is a simple change to tax law removing sales tax from eligible food products. The bill is currently in early stages (prefiled and first reading) and has not yet become law.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesExempts food from sales tax, providing direct tax relief to consumers purchasing groceries, particularly benefiting lower-income households.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Procurement Sales Tax

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in committee · Missouri · House May 15, 2026

HB 2432: Authorizes the city of Richmond to levy a sales tax whose revenues are dedicated to public safety upon voter approval

HB 2432 allows eligible cities meeting specific population and county criteria (e.g., cities with 3,000-3,300 residents in certain counties) to impose a 0.5% sales tax on retail purchases, but only after voter approval in a general or special election. All revenue from this tax must be used exclusively for public safety services, including police, fire, and emergency medical equipment, salaries, and facilities, and must be deposited in a special trust fund. The tax is in addition to existing sales taxes and requires a majority "yes" vote to take effect, with no re-submission allowed for 12 months if rejected. Cities must meet one of 21 defined population thresholds to qualify for this tax authority.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesAuthorizes dedicated 0.5% sales tax for public safety services (police/fire/EMS), directing all revenue exclusively to essential program funding per bill language.90% confidence ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeAuthorizes dedicated sales tax revenue for public safety services including police, fire, and emergency medical equipment, directly funding law enforcement within criminal justice framework.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Debt & Bonds Sales Tax Tax Incentives Policing

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in committee · Missouri · House May 4, 2026

HB 2379: Modifies provisions relating to sales taxes for early childhood services

This bill modifies Missouri county sales tax rules to allow local governments to fund early childhood education services. It requires counties seeking to impose an additional sales tax (up to 1.5% after 2025 for qualifying counties) to first obtain voter approval via a specific ballot measure. Revenue collected from such taxes must be deposited exclusively into the early childhood education fund, as defined in Section 67.5420. The bill also sets population-based rate limits and prohibits using these taxes for other purposes like zoological facilities or sports stadiums.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesBill creates dedicated sales tax revenue stream (up to 1.5%) for early childhood education fund, requiring voter approval. Directly funds public education program through targeted tax mechanism.90% confidence ✓ EducationSupports EducationBill establishes new local sales tax funding for early childhood education, directing revenue exclusively to education fund per Section 67.5420, advancing educational access and funding.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Sales Tax Early Childhood

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in committee · Missouri · House May 15, 2026

HB 2568: Exempts the retail sale of food from state sales and use tax, subject to a three-year sunset provision

HB 2568 exempts most retail sales of food from Missouri's state sales tax starting January 1, 2027, replacing the current 1% tax rate. The exemption applies to qualifying food items (like groceries sold in stores) but excludes restaurants and similar establishments where over 80% of revenue comes from prepared food. The exemption includes a three-year sunset provision, meaning it will automatically expire on December 31, 2030, unless the legislature reauthorizes it. This change affects grocery retailers and food sellers but does not impact local sales taxes.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesExempts groceries from state sales tax, providing direct tax relief for consumers and reducing government revenue, aligning with tax relief indicators for Budget & Taxes.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Sales Tax

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signed · Missouri · Senate Jul 9, 2026

SB 953: Modifies provisions relating to environmental programs within the Department of Natural Resources

SB 953 creates a "Natural Resources Protection Fund" to manage environmental fees, including a new "Missouri Air Emission Reduction Fund" for emissions inspection fees. It changes rules so unspent funds won’t revert to general revenue after 2027 (previously they did), and requires 5% of electric power tax revenue to fund air pollution programs. The Department of Natural Resources will use these funds for environmental programs, while emissions inspection stations must collect and remit fees to the state treasurer. The bill directly affects state environmental agencies, inspection stations, and public programs focused on air/water quality.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesBill allocates 5% of electric power tax revenue to fund air pollution programs and redirects environmental fees into dedicated funds, strengthening fiscal management for environmental programs.92% confidence ✓ EnergySupports EnergyCreates Missouri Air Emission Reduction Fund using 5% of electric power tax revenue for air pollution programs, directly funding emissions reduction in energy sector.95% confidence ✓ EnvironmentSupports EnvironmentCreates Natural Resources Protection Fund and Air Emission Reduction Fund, mandates dedicated funding for air pollution programs, prevents fund diversion to general revenue95% confidence

Sub-Topics Revenue Sales Tax Energy Storage Air Quality Drinking Water Water Quality

in committee · Missouri · House May 7, 2026

HB 2431: Authorizes certain political subdivisions to levy local taxes, upon voter approval

HB 2431 authorizes qualifying cities (based on specific population and county size criteria) to impose a citywide sales tax of up to 0.5% on retail sales, with all revenue dedicated exclusively to public safety. The tax requires voter approval through a general election ballot question before implementation, and funds must be used solely for police, fire, and emergency medical services equipment, salaries, and facilities. Cities must establish a special trust fund for these revenues, and any remaining funds after tax termination must continue supporting public safety. This bill applies to numerous specific city classifications across Missouri, not just Lexington.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesAuthorizes new local sales tax specifically for public safety funding, dedicating all revenue to police/fire/EMS services without broad tax increases.95% confidence ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeFunds police, fire, and EMS equipment/salaries via dedicated sales tax, directly supporting public safety infrastructure within criminal justice framework95% confidence

Sub-Topics Sales Tax Policing

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in committee · Missouri · House May 15, 2026

HB 1765: Authorizes Washington County to submit a question to the voters on a transient guest tax for tourism purposes

HB 1765 allows Washington County (with specific population requirements) to ask voters whether to impose a 0.5% tax on hotel and motel stays for tourism promotion. The bill requires the county's governing body to submit a specific ballot question to voters, which must pass by majority vote to take effect. If approved, the tax would be added to room charges, must be listed separately, and funds could only be used for tourism marketing. The tax would not become active without voter approval through this process.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesAuthorizes 0.5% transient guest tax for tourism marketing, directly creating new tax revenue allocation under Budget & Taxes.90% confidence

Sub-Topics Sales Tax

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in committee · Missouri · Senate Feb 5, 2026

SB 1465: Authorizes Bollinger County to impose a sales tax for county purposes

SB 1465 authorizes Bollinger County to impose a sales tax for general county purposes. This bill directly affects Bollinger County residents and businesses by allowing the county to collect an additional sales tax. The key provision is the authorization itself, enabling the county to implement this tax without requiring new state-level approval for the tax mechanism. The bill does not specify a tax rate, duration, or exact spending plans, only granting the county the legal authority to do so.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesAuthorizes county sales tax collection, directly enabling new tax authority for county fiscal management per bill summary.92% confidence

Sub-Topics Sales Tax

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