Amendment 5 is a bait-and-switch power grab by politicians. It promises to cut your income tax — but lets politicians triple your sales tax without your vote.
The Three Numbers That Matter
Source: Missouri Budget Project Fiscal Impact Statement, May 6, 2026
The Plain English Version
Politicians claim they need Amendment 5 to eliminate Missouri's income tax — but they can do that today by changing state law, without amending the Constitution.
The Real Agenda: Amendment 5 allows Jefferson City politicians to ignore current constitutional taxpayer protections and hands them a blank check to raise taxes — without a vote of the people.
The amendment allows the expansion of sales tax to all services for the first time in Missouri history — and lets lawmakers potentially triple the average combined sales tax rate to 16% or higher on everything you buy, without ever asking voters.
Amendment 5 allows Jefferson City politicians to ignore current constitutional taxpayer protections that Missouri voters already approved:
What politicians are telling Missouri voters — and what the amendment actually says.
The Bait
The Switch
The Real Cost
Amendment 5 is sold as a tax cut. For these Missourians, it's a tax INCREASE.
Those on tight fixed incomes may not pay income tax, but they will be hurt by higher sales taxes on the goods they buy every day — groceries, medicine and gas — and services they use every day, from haircuts to car repairs to health care and housing.
Active-duty military do not pay state income tax, but will face higher prices off base with sales taxes that could roughly triple — meaning less retail business and economic harm in our military host communities.
The nonpartisan Missouri Budget Project estimates Amendment 5 will cost the average Missourian about $500 more in taxes per year. Families would be saddled with new daily costs on services they have never been taxed on before.
Small businesses will have to charge higher sales tax on goods and new sales taxes on services customers use every day. Businesses near border states with lower sales tax will be dealt even tougher blows by the Everything Tax.
For the First Time in Missouri History
Amendment 5 explicitly extends sales tax to "all services" — and lets the legislature add more without voter approval.
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