Missouri Paystub Generator

Missouri's 4.7% Top Rate and the Other 2026 Figures

The top Missouri rate held at 4.7% for 2026, the same as 2025. What moved were the bracket edges and the standard deduction, which is why a stub made with last year's tables drifts by a dollar or two per check. The figures that shape Missouri payroll this year:

• Brackets: the first $1,348 of annual taxable income is taxed at 0%, then six steps of $1,348 each at 2%, 2.5%, 3%, 3.5%, 4% and 4.5%. Everything above $9,436 is taxed at 4.7%.
• Standard deduction: $16,100 for single, married filing separately or married with a working spouse; $32,200 when the spouse does not work; $24,150 for head of household. These were $15,000, $30,000 and $22,500 in 2025.
• FICA: 6.2% Social Security on wages up to $184,500 and 1.45% Medicare with no cap. Employers withhold another 0.9% once wages pass $200,000.
• No state payroll deductions for workers: Missouri unemployment insurance is paid entirely by employers, so it never appears as an employee deduction.

How Form MO W-4 Sets the State Tax Line

Missouri does not use the federal W-4 for state withholding. Employees file Form MO W-4, which records their filing status, whether a spouse works and any extra amount they want withheld. The employer then follows the 2026 formula:

1. Multiply the wages for the period by the number of pay periods in a year (52 weekly, 26 biweekly, 24 semimonthly, 12 monthly).
2. Subtract the standard deduction for the filing status on the MO W-4.
3. Run the remainder through the brackets from the lowest rate up.
4. Divide by the number of pay periods and round to the nearest whole dollar.

If an employee never turns in a Form MO W-4, the employer withholds at the single rate. Bonuses or overtime paid separately can be taxed at a flat 4.7% or added to regular wages and run through the formula. The Department of Revenue withholding page publishes the formula and the tables employers use for Missouri payroll.

Kansas City and St. Louis: The 1% Earnings Tax Line

Missouri has only two city income taxes and both are called earnings taxes. State law (RSMo 92.111) has barred any other city from levying one since the end of 2011, so someone who lives and works in Springfield, Columbia or Independence sees no local line.

When the tax applies, it belongs on its own labeled line rather than inside the state amount. Kansas City lets employers apportion a nonresident's wages when only part of the work happens in the city. St. Louis employers remit it quarterly on Form W-10.

Sample Output: A Springfield Print Shop Paycheck

This preview comes straight from the Missouri paystub generator for an hourly worker paid every two weeks. The Missouri tax line and net pay are highlighted. If you are new to reading one, our guide to what a pay stub looks like labels each block.

Scenario: hourly employee of Ozark Print Shop LLC, 1200 E Sunshine St, Springfield, MO 65804. Paid biweekly at $22.00 an hour for 80 hours, single on both the federal W-4 and the MO W-4. Pay period Sep 14 to Sep 27, 2026, pay date Sep 29, 2026. This is the 20th check of the year and Springfield levies no earnings tax.

The state line follows the 2026 formula exactly. $1,760 times 26 checks is $45,760 a year. Minus the $16,100 single deduction leaves $29,660 of taxable income. The first $9,436 produces $262.86 across the lower brackets and the remaining $20,224 at 4.7% adds $950.53, for $1,213.39 a year. Divided by 26 that is $46.67, which rounds to $47.00. Twenty checks at $47 give the $940.00 year-to-date figure. Had this same job been in Kansas City or St. Louis, a 1% earnings tax line of $17.60 would sit under the state tax; this Missouri check stub correctly leaves it off.

$15.00 an Hour and the Rules Behind It

HB 567, signed in July 2025, ended the automatic inflation increases that would have followed $15.00, so the rate stays put until lawmakers change it. The same bill brought public employers under the Missouri minimum wage law. For a tipped server, a clear Missouri pay stub lists the cash wage and reported tips on separate lines so the $15.00 floor is easy to confirm.

What RSMo 290.080 Requires on a Deduction Statement

Missouri has a narrow pay statement rule. Under RSMo 290.080, corporations and railroad operators must give employees a statement at least once a month showing the total deductions for the period, either with the paycheck or separately. Violations are a misdemeanor carrying a fine of $50 to $500 per offense.

Many employers go further and hand out a full stub every payday because lenders and landlords expect one. A complete Missouri paycheck stub usually lists:

• Employer and employee names with the pay period and pay date
• Hours, rate and gross wages for the period
• Federal income tax, Missouri tax, Social Security and Medicare as separate lines
• Any Kansas City or St. Louis earnings tax on its own line
• Current and year-to-date totals with net pay

Paydays, Discharge Pay and the End of Prop A Sick Leave

• Pay frequency: corporations must pay at least semimonthly, within 16 days after the pay period closes. Executive, administrative, professional and commissioned staff may be paid monthly.
• Discharged employees: unpaid wages are due on the day of discharge. If the worker asks in writing and the money does not arrive within seven days, wages keep accruing as a penalty for up to 60 days (RSMo 290.110).
• Paid sick leave: the Proposition A mandate was repealed by HB 567 effective August 28, 2025. Employers may still offer sick time but are no longer required to, so a PTO line on Missouri payroll now reflects company policy rather than state law.

The Division of Labor Standards keeps the current Missouri minimum wage page with posters and the full wage history.

Making a Stub for a Missouri Job in Three Steps

1. Enter the employer's Missouri address. The city decides whether an earnings tax line is needed.
2. Add the rate, hours and pay frequency, then choose the filing status. Our step-by-step guide to making a paystub covers each field.
3. Preview the Missouri paystub for free, compare it with your Missouri payroll records and download the PDF.

Responsible Use of Missouri Pay Stubs

A stub is a record of wages that were really earned and paid. If you are unsure what a paystub is or what belongs on one, start there. Use it for real Missouri payroll, to replace a lost Missouri check stub or when a dealer asks for a pay stub for an auto loan. Self-employed workers who invoice clients should follow the guidance on paystubs for independent contractors since no Missouri tax is withheld for them. Falsifying income documents is fraud under Missouri and federal law.