What is the Kansas City earnings tax?

Kansas City levies a flat 1% earnings tax, often called the E-Tax, on the earnings of city residents and on non-residents for work performed inside the city. It is a distinct layer on top of Missouri state income tax and federal income tax.

Who has to pay the Kansas City earnings tax?

Residents pay on all earnings wherever earned, and non-residents pay on the portion of earnings tied to work physically performed in Kansas City. If you neither live nor work in the city, the earnings tax does not apply.

How does this differ from Missouri state tax?

Missouri uses a graduated state income tax with brackets up to about 4.7%, applied statewide. The Kansas City earnings tax is a separate flat 1% city levy stacked on top of that state tax for qualifying workers.

Does the calculator include federal tax?

No. This tool isolates the Missouri state tax and the Kansas City earnings tax so you can see the local burden. Federal income tax, FICA, and any deductions are calculated separately.

Are the Missouri brackets exact?

The brackets are representative of Missouri's graduated structure with a top rate near 4.7%. Thresholds and the top rate are adjusted periodically, so use this as a close estimate rather than a filing figure.

Kansas City City Income Tax Calculator

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Calculate your Kansas City earnings tax

Kansas City is one of only two Missouri cities with a local income tax: a flat 1% earnings tax (the E-Tax) layered on top of Missouri’s graduated state income tax and federal tax. This calculator separates the state and city portions so you can see exactly what the local levy adds.

How it works

Missouri state tax is computed bracket by bracket on your taxable earnings, then the flat Kansas City rate is applied to the same base when the residency or work-location test is met:

state tax    = sum over Missouri brackets of (slice in bracket * bracket rate)
city tax     = applies ? earnings * (city rate / 100) : 0
combined     = state tax + city tax
effective    = combined / earnings

The earnings tax applies to residents on all earnings and to non-residents on work performed inside the city. Uncheck the residency-and-work box and the city portion drops to zero, leaving only the Missouri state tax.

How it works — example

On 60,000 of earnings, Missouri state tax is roughly 2,600 and the Kansas City earnings tax adds 600 (1% of earnings), for a combined state-plus-city total near 3,200 and an effective rate close to 5.3%.

Notes

The Missouri brackets here are representative — Missouri adjusts its thresholds and top rate periodically, and credits or deductions can change your actual liability. Use the result as a planning estimate, and remember federal income tax and FICA are separate from both figures shown.