Who Gets Hit Hardest

Seniors, Retirees, Veterans and Disabled Persons

Amendment 5 hits seniors, retirees, veterans and disabled persons hardest. Those on tight fixed incomes may not pay income tax on their limited income, but they will certainly be hurt by higher sales taxes on goods they buy every day, such as groceries, medicine and gas, and services they use every day, from haircuts to car repairs to health care and housing.

The nonpartisan Missouri Budget Project analysis says Amendment 5 will make taxes go up for 80% of Missourians.

Working Families

Amendment 5 hits working families hardest of all, with higher sales and use taxes estimated by the nonpartisan Missouri Budget Project to cost the average Missouri family about $500 more in taxes per year overall. Families currently do not pay taxes on everyday services, but they would be saddled with more daily costs under Amendment 5's Everything Tax.

Rural Missourians

Amendment 5 will only increase the tough economic times in rural Missouri. The current constitutional ban on taxing buying and selling land could be ignored by lawmakers. Amendment 5 also lets the politicians put a new tax on everyday farm services, from equipment repairs to veterinarians and auctioneers, and goods would have higher sales taxes, from food to fuel to equipment.

Small Business

Amendment 5 will make the economic struggle even harder for small businesses. They will have to charge higher sales tax on goods and new sales taxes on services customers use every day. Main Street in Missouri has too many shuttered businesses, and higher sales taxes will do even greater economic harm. And businesses closer to border states with lower sales tax will be dealt even tougher blows by Amendment 5's Everything Tax.

Renters

Amendment 5 is a severe hit for renters who are already struggling to make ends meet. The Amendment 5 Everything Tax's new sales tax on everyday services will add new costs — and if renters are saving to buy a home, Amendment 5 puts it further out of reach by allowing a new sales tax on buying and selling homes.

Homebuyers

Amendment 5 crushes the dreams of Missourians who want to buy or sell a home. The Missouri Constitution's current ban on taxing buying or selling a home could be ignored by politicians under Amendment 5. There would also be new taxes on services related to home buying, selling and ownership — from inspections to commissions, to painting, decorating, plumbing, construction and landscaping.

Active-Duty Military

Amendment 5 hits active-duty military, who do not pay state income tax but will face higher prices off the base with sales taxes that could roughly triple. This will mean less retail business and economic harm in our neighboring military host communities.