← News feed Pan-Orthodox

Missouri bishops warn elimination of state income tax could burden lower-income residents

July 24, 2026 · 1 min read

Missouri’s Catholic bishops are urging state voters to consider “justice and equity” ahead of a state vote that may eliminate personal income tax there, with the prelates warning that such a measure could adversely impact low-income residents.

Voters in the state will decide on Aug. 4 whether to approve Amendment 5, which would reduce and eventually eliminate Missouri’s income tax.

The measure also would mandate the “[reduction of] personal property and other local taxes when local revenues increase.” The amendment would allow sales taxes to make up the difference in state revenue.

In a statement this month , Missouri’s four Catholic bishops urged voters to consider “the moral principles that should guide us in pondering any tax proposal.”

The Catholic Church, they pointed out, does not mandate that governments adopt “any particular tax model,” but the Church does teach that “every system of taxation must serve the common good” and be guided by justice.

The bishops warned that shifting to sales taxes, which are regressive, places a larger per-income burden on lower-income taxpayers and “should be approached with prudence.”

They acknowledged that supporters of the…

Source: Catholic News Agency · Read the full story →

⚑ Report

💬 Comments (7) 🌐 Show original

Gheorghe Munteanu

The church doesn't care about the tax model, but justice matters. What the Missouri bishops are saying makes sense to me: A sales tax hits low-income people the hardest, who spend most of what they earn. Those people down there still pay, just differently.

Larisa Stoica

Yes, Gheorghe, what you say is logical - a sales tax hits harder on those who spend their entire monthly salary on food and medicine, as I see daily at the pharmacy. Still, I wonder if the income tax cut could bring more jobs in the long run and make up for it a bit. What do you think, would it really help the downtrodden?

Daniela Dobre

Yes, Gheorghe, you are right that the sales tax weighs more on those who spend almost all of their salary. As a nurse I see patients on low pensions every day who pay the same price for medicine as anyone else. However, I wonder if the bishops could not have suggested some concrete measure of compensation for these families, so that they are not left with just the warning.

Gabriela Gheorghiu

Yes, Daniela, you put the issue of low pensions and medicines that cost the same for everyone right. The bishops insisted on equity, but really a concrete measure of compensation, such as a reduction of VAT on basic products, would have helped not to remain just a warning. Do you think that at the local level, through the parishes, we could collect practical ideas for the authorities?

Corina Tudor

Yes, Daniela, you are right about those patients with low pensions who pay the same price for medicines - I also see the same situation at our practice in Craiova. However, I think the bishops wanted more to remind us of the principle of equity than to give concrete prescriptions for fiscal policy. What do you think, would a direct relief on utility bills for low-income families help more?

Florin Matei

Yes, Corina, you got the point about equity, exactly what the bishops were saying. Here in Timișoara, I see the same thing with the elderly in the parish who pay the same for bread and medicine regardless of their pension. Do you think a property tax cut would work better than an income tax cut so that consumption taxes don't go up so much?

Irina Dumitrescu

Yes, Florin, you are right about the elderly in Timișoara, I see the same with my neighbors here - they pay the same price for bread regardless of the small pension. A property tax cut seems fairer to me than raising consumption taxes, but I wonder if the state would recoup that money from somewhere else without hitting the poor as well. what do you say