07/21/2026
My take on Amendment 4 & 5 for Missouri Residents.
I would do a video on this, but I am afraid I might leave something out. Mother was asking me today at lunch about amendment 4 and amendment 5 that will be on the Missouri Ballot on August 4th, 2026 to vote on. I do get opinionated sometimes, and this is definitely a hot topic with a lot of you.
First, let's talk about Amendment 5, because this one has the biggest tax impact.
On the surface, eliminating Missouri's individual income tax sounds pretty attractive. I don't know anyone who enjoys paying income taxes. Let’s be honest. We earn wages and those are taxed and then we spend those wages and those are taxed as well. It is a never-ending cycle and one we all hate.
But as a tax professional, I've learned something over the years. When the government stops collecting revenue one way, it almost always has to collect it another way.
Missouri still has to pay for roads, schools, law enforcement, and all the other services we depend on. Those bills don't just disappear. And we don’t have the tourism like Florida or Texas or Tennessee.
My concern is that if we eliminate the income tax which has deductions for people until certain income thresholds apply, we'll eventually make up that money somewhere else—most likely through higher or broader sales taxes on goods and services. Right now, a lot of services are not taxed.
And here's the problem with those additional sales taxes.
Sales taxes don't really care how much money you make. Everyone pays them. So while some people may save money on income taxes, others—especially working families and retirees—could end up paying more every time they buy everyday necessities.
To me, that's just shifting the tax burden instead of actually reducing it. We continue to deal with inflation and this is just one more nail in the coffin so to speak.
Now let's talk about Amendment 4.
This amendment isn't really about taxes. It's about changing the rules for how Missouri voters amend the state Constitution.
Personally, I think if a majority of Missouri voters support a constitutional amendment, then that should be enough.
Amendment 4 would add another hurdle by requiring support in every congressional district before an initiative could pass. So, if amendment 5 goes the way we think it will go, well, it might just make it a lot harder to change. Why as Missourian’s would we want to restrict ourselves and make it harder to change laws when it concerns tax or really anything?
Whether you agree with a particular amendment or not, I believe every Missourian's vote should count equally, and I don't think we should make it harder for citizens to change their own Constitution or allow one congressional district to hold a majority of everyone else back.
Now, I'm not telling you how you have to vote. I simply encourage you to read the amendments for yourself and make an informed decision.
These are just my personal views based on my experience as a tax professional and someone who cares about Missouri taxpayers.
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