St. Louis shoppers pay one of the higher combined sales tax rates in Missouri because the city stacks a local levy on top of the state rate. This calculator applies the current 9.679% combined rate for general merchandise inside St. Louis City, and switches to the reduced grocery rate or full exemption when the item qualifies — so you can see the true out-the-door price before you reach the register.
How it works
The combined rate is built from two layers:
- Missouri state sales tax of 4.225% on general goods (or the reduced 1.225% state food rate on qualifying groceries).
- A St. Louis City local portion of 5.454%, which is the difference between the 9.679% combined general rate and the 4.225% state rate.
For general merchandise the tool multiplies your amount by 9.679%. For qualifying groceries it uses 1.225% + 5.454% = 6.679%. Prescription drugs are exempt under Missouri law, so the rate drops to 0%. The result is added back to your subtotal to show the final total.
Example and notes
A 100.00 general-merchandise purchase is taxed at 9.679%, adding 9.68 for a 109.68 total. The same 100.00 in qualifying groceries is taxed at 6.679%, adding only 6.68. Note that some addresses sit inside a special taxing district (TDD or CID) that adds up to about 1% more — check your receipt against the district map if the printed rate looks higher than expected.