2026 tax year · Missouri
RSU tax in Missouri
A $60,000 vest costs $2,880 in Missouri tax on top of the federal bill. And the federal share withheld is $2,970 short.
What a $60,000 vest actually costs in Missouri
A single filer already earning $180,000 in salary. The vest stacks on top of that, so it fills the highest brackets rather than starting at the bottom:
| Withheld by your employer at 22.0% | $13,200 |
| Federal tax the vest actually costs | $16,170 |
| Federal shortfall, owed in April | $2,970 |
| Missouri income tax on the vest | $2,880 |
| Total still to find | $5,850 |
The withholding rate is flat, 22.0% below $1 million of supplemental pay. And takes no account of your salary. That is why the gap grows the more you earn.
The gap widens with salary
| Salary | Withheld | Actually owed | Shortfall | Missouri tax |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $90,000 | $13,200 | $13,764 | $564 | $2,880 |
| $160,000 | $13,200 | $14,570 | $1,370 | $2,880 |
| $260,000 | $13,200 | $20,630 | $7,430 | $2,880 |
How Missouri treats a vest
Missouri taxes a vest as ordinary income like any other wages, adding $2,880 on top of the federal bill for $60,000 of vesting stock.
If you moved during the vesting period, the income is split between the states you worked in across it: Days worked in each state / total days in vesting period x RSU income = each state's allocation That is worked out day by day, not by where you lived on the vesting date.
Missouri specifics that change the number
Missouri is one of the twelve states that still taxes Social Security benefits, which matters if you are drawing benefits alongside a vest.
What the same vest costs around Missouri
Total income of $240,000 in the states Missouri borders:
| State | Its tax | vs Missouri |
|---|---|---|
| Tennessee | No income tax | −$11,350 |
| Kentucky | $8,400 | −$2,950 |
| Iowa | $9,120 | −$2,230 |
| Arkansas | $9,283 | −$2,067 |
| Nebraska | $10,619 | −$731 |
| Oklahoma | $10,765 | −$585 |
| Illinois | $11,880 | +$530 |
| Kansas | $13,290 | +$1,940 |
- Tennessee has no income tax at all, so the same work done there costs $11,350 less in state tax than it does in Missouri.
- Kentucky would take $2,950 less, $8,400 against Missouri's $11,350.
- Iowa would take $2,230 less, $9,120 against Missouri's $11,350.
- Arkansas would take $2,067 less, $9,283 against Missouri's $11,350.
- Nebraska would take $731 less, $10,619 against Missouri's $11,350.
- Oklahoma would take $585 less, $10,765 against Missouri's $11,350.
- Illinois would take $530 more, $11,880 against Missouri's $11,350.
- Kansas would take $1,940 more, $13,290 against Missouri's $11,350.
RSU questions in Missouri
Should I sell at vest?
Selling immediately raises the cash for the $5,850 you still owe and leaves no capital gain, because the sale price equals the price you were already taxed on. Holding turns it into an investment decision, any further gain is a capital gain, and any fall is a loss you take on shares you were already taxed on at the higher value.
I moved to Missouri mid-vest, who taxes it?
Both states, split by workdays. The income is allocated across the vesting period, not assigned to wherever you happened to live on the vesting date. The state you left can still claim its share, and California, New York and Massachusetts pursue it hardest.