Sometimes the smallest rule changes hit your wallet the hardest. Missouri wants to tax your payment method. A new proposal from the state Department of Revenue would quietly start taxing not just what you buy, but how you pay.
According to a newly proposed rule, if you purchase a $50 item in Kansas City (where the combined sales tax rate is around 8.9%) and the store adds a $3 fee for using a credit card, the state now wants to calculate sales tax on $53. In other words, Missouri would tax the credit card convenience fee itself — not the merchandise or service, but the payment method.
Translation: Even convenience gets taxed. Turning a card surcharge into a taxable item stretches that understanding beyond basic logic.
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