Effective 28 Aug 2007

144.757. Local use tax to fund community comeback program — rate of tax — St. Louis County — ballot of submission — notice to director of revenue — repeal or reduction of local sales tax, effect on local use tax. — 1. Any county or municipality, except municipalities within a county having a charter form of government with a population in excess of nine hundred thousand, may, by a majority vote of its governing body, impose a local use tax if a local sales tax is imposed as defined in section 32.085 at a rate equal to the rate of the local sales tax in effect in such county or municipality; provided, however, that no ordinance or order enacted pursuant to sections 144.757 to 144.761 shall be effective unless the governing body of the county or municipality submits to the voters thereof at a municipal, county or state general, primary or special election a proposal to authorize the governing body of the county or municipality to impose a local use tax pursuant to sections 144.757 to 144.761. Municipalities within a county having a charter form of government with a population in excess of nine hundred thousand may, upon voter approval received pursuant to paragraph (b) of subdivision (2) of subsection 2 of this section, impose a local use tax at the same rate as the local municipal sales tax with the revenues from all such municipal use taxes to be distributed pursuant to subsection 4 of section 94.890. The municipality shall within thirty days of the approval of the use tax imposed pursuant to paragraph (b) of subdivision (2) of subsection 2 of this section select one of the distribution options permitted in subsection 4 of section 94.890 for distribution of all municipal use taxes.

2. (1) The ballot of submission, except for counties and municipalities described in subdivisions (2) and (3) of this subsection, shall contain substantially the following language:

(2) (a) The ballot of submission in a county having a charter form of government with a population in excess of nine hundred thousand shall contain substantially the following language:

(b) The ballot of submission in a municipality within a county having a charter form of government with a population in excess of nine hundred thousand shall contain substantially the following language:

(3) The ballot of submission in any city not within a county shall contain substantially the following language:

(4) If any of such ballots are submitted on August 6, 1996, and if a majority of the votes cast on the proposal by the qualified voters voting thereon are in favor of the proposal, then the ordinance or order and any amendments thereto shall be in effect October 1, 1996, provided the director of revenue receives notice of adoption of the local use tax on or before August 16, 1996. If any of such ballots are submitted after December 31, 1996, and if a majority of the votes cast on the proposal by the qualified voters voting thereon are in favor of the proposal, then the ordinance or order and any amendments thereto shall be in effect on the first day of the calendar quarter which begins at least forty-five days after the director of revenue receives notice of adoption of the local use tax. If a majority of the votes cast by the qualified voters voting are opposed to the proposal, then the governing body of the county or municipality shall have no power to impose the local use tax as herein authorized unless and until the governing body of the county or municipality shall again have submitted another proposal to authorize the governing body of the county or municipality to impose the local use tax and such proposal is approved by a majority of the qualified voters voting thereon.

3. The local use tax may be imposed at the same rate as the local sales tax then currently in effect in the county or municipality upon all transactions which are subject to the taxes imposed pursuant to sections 144.600 to 144.745 within the county or municipality adopting such tax; provided, however, that if any local sales tax is repealed or the rate thereof is reduced or raised by voter approval, the local use tax rate shall also be deemed to be repealed, reduced or raised by the same action repealing, reducing or raising the local sales tax.

4. For purposes of sections 144.757 to 144.761, the use tax may be referred to or described as the equivalent of a sales tax on purchases made from out-of-state sellers by in-state buyers and on certain intrabusiness transactions. Such a description shall not change the classification, form or subject of the use tax or the manner in which it is collected.

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(L. 1996 S.B. 981, A.L. 2000 H.B. 1238, A.L. 2004 H.B. 795, et al. merged with H.B. 833 merged with S.B. 1155, A.L. 2007 S.B. 22)

(2005) Local use tax statutes are constitutional under Commerce Clause analysis; courts compare only intra-jurisdictional sales and use tax rates and not those of different taxing jurisdictions. Kirkwood Glass Co. v. Director of Revenue, 166 S.W.3d 583 (Mo.banc).