Purchase or lease of motor vehicles, trailers, boats and outboard motors, ...
Mo. Rev. Stat. § 144.070
in effect144.070. Purchase or lease of motor vehicles, trailers, boats and outboard motors, tax on — official certificate issued — application to act as leasing company, requirements — operation as registered fleet owner, when — motor vehicle dealers, application to collect and remit tax — collection and remittance of tax in new system, when, rulemaking. — 1. At the time the owner of any new or used motor vehicle, trailer, boat, or outboard motor which was acquired in a transaction subject to sales tax under the Missouri sales tax law makes application to the director of revenue for an official certificate of title and the registration of the motor vehicle, trailer, boat, or outboard motor as otherwise provided by law, the owner shall present to the director of revenue evidence satisfactory to the director of revenue showing the purchase price exclusive of any charge incident to the extension of credit paid by or charged to the applicant in the acquisition of the motor vehicle, trailer, boat, or outboard motor, or that no sales tax was incurred in its acquisition, and if sales tax was incurred in its acquisition, the applicant shall pay or cause to be paid to the director of revenue the sales tax provided by the Missouri sales tax law in addition to the registration fees now or hereafter required according to law, and the director of revenue shall not issue a certificate of title for any new or used motor vehicle, trailer, boat, or outboard motor subject to sales tax as provided in the Missouri sales tax law until the tax levied for the sale of the same under sections 144.010 to 144.510 has been paid as provided in this section or is registered under the provisions of subsection 5 of this section.
2. As used in subsection 1 of this section, the term "purchase price" shall mean the total amount of the contract price agreed upon between the seller and the applicant in the acquisition of the motor vehicle, trailer, boat, or outboard motor, regardless of the medium of payment therefor.
3. In the event that the purchase price is unknown or undisclosed, or that the evidence thereof is not satisfactory to the director of revenue, the same shall be fixed by appraisement by the director.
4. The director of the department of revenue shall endorse upon the official certificate of title issued by the director upon such application an entry showing that such sales tax has been paid or that the motor vehicle, trailer, boat, or outboard motor represented by such certificate is exempt from sales tax and state the ground for such exemption.
5. Any person, company, or corporation engaged in the business of renting or leasing motor vehicles, trailers, boats, or outboard motors, which are to be used exclusively for rental or lease purposes, and not for resale, may apply to the director of revenue for authority to operate as a leasing or rental company and pay an annual fee of two hundred fifty dollars for such authority. Any company approved by the director of revenue may pay the tax due on any motor vehicle, trailer, boat, or outboard motor as required in section 144.020 at the time of registration thereof or in lieu thereof may pay a sales tax as provided in sections 144.010 , 144.020 , 144.070 and 144.440 . A sales tax shall be charged to and paid by a leasing company which does not exercise the option of paying in accordance with section 144.020 , on the amount charged for each rental or lease agreement while the motor vehicle, trailer, boat, or outboard motor is domiciled in this state. Any motor vehicle, trailer, boat, or outboard motor which is leased as the result of a contract executed in this state shall be presumed to be domiciled in this state.
6. Every applicant to be a registered fleet owner as described in subsections 6 to 10 of section 301.032 shall furnish with the application to operate as a registered fleet owner a corporate surety bond or irrevocable letter of credit, as defined in section 400.5-102 , issued by any state or federal financial institution in the penal sum of one hundred thousand dollars, on a form approved by the department. The bond or irrevocable letter of credit shall be conditioned upon the registered fleet owner complying with the provisions of any statutes applicable to registered fleet owners, and the bond shall be an indemnity for any loss sustained by reason of the acts of the person bonded when such acts constitute grounds for the suspension or revocation of the registered fleet owner license. The bond shall be executed in the name of the state of Missouri for the benefit of all aggrieved parties or the irrevocable letter of credit shall name the state of Missouri as the beneficiary; except that, the aggregate liability of the surety or financial institution to the aggrieved parties shall, in no event, exceed the amount of the bond or irrevocable letter of credit. The proceeds of the bond or irrevocable letter of credit shall be paid upon receipt by the department of a final judgment from a Missouri court of competent jurisdiction against the principal and in favor of an aggrieved party.
7. Any corporation may have one or more of its divisions separately apply to the director of revenue for authorization to operate as a leasing company, provided that the corporation:
(1) Has filed a written consent with the director authorizing any of its divisions to apply for such authority;
(2) Is authorized to do business in Missouri;
(3) Has agreed to treat any sale of a motor vehicle, trailer, boat, or outboard motor from one of its divisions to another of its divisions as a sale at retail;
(4) Has registered under the fictitious name provisions of sections 417.200 to 417.230 each of its divisions doing business in Missouri as a leasing company; and
(5) Operates each of its divisions on a basis separate from each of its other divisions. However, when the transfer of a motor vehicle, trailer, boat or outboard motor occurs within a corporation which holds a license to operate as a motor vehicle or boat dealer pursuant to sections 301.550 to 301.573 the provisions in subdivision (3) of this subsection shall not apply.
8. If the owner of any motor vehicle, trailer, boat, or outboard motor desires to charge and collect sales tax as provided in this section, the owner shall make application to the director of revenue for a permit to operate as a motor vehicle, trailer, boat, or outboard motor leasing company. The director of revenue shall promulgate rules and regulations determining the qualifications of such a company, and the method of collection and reporting of sales tax charged and collected. Such regulations shall apply only to owners of motor vehicles, trailers, boats, or outboard motors, electing to qualify as motor vehicle, trailer, boat, or outboard motor leasing companies under the provisions of subsection 5 of this section, and no motor vehicle renting or leasing, trailer renting or leasing, or boat or outboard motor renting or leasing company can come under sections 144.010 , 144.020 , 144.070 and 144.440 unless all motor vehicles, trailers, boats, and outboard motors held for renting and leasing are included.
9. Any person, company, or corporation engaged in the business of renting or leasing three thousand five hundred or more motor vehicles which are to be used exclusively for rental or leasing purposes and not for resale, and that has applied to the director of revenue for authority to operate as a leasing company may also operate as a registered fleet owner as prescribed in section 301.032 .
10. Beginning July 1, 2010, any motor vehicle dealer licensed under section 301.560 engaged in the business of selling motor vehicles or trailers shall apply to the director of revenue for authority to collect and remit the sales tax required under this section on all motor vehicles sold by the motor vehicle dealer. A motor vehicle dealer receiving authority to collect and remit the tax is subject to all provisions under sections 144.010 to 144.525 . Any motor vehicle dealer authorized to collect and remit sales taxes on motor vehicles under this subsection shall be entitled to deduct and retain an amount equal to two percent of the motor vehicle sales tax pursuant to section 144.140 . Any amount of the tax collected under this subsection that is retained by a motor vehicle dealer pursuant to section 144.140 shall not constitute state revenue. In no event shall revenues from the general revenue fund or any other state fund be utilized to compensate motor vehicle dealers for their role in collecting and remitting sales taxes on motor vehicles. In the event this subsection or any portion thereof is held to violate Article IV, Section 30(b) of the Missouri Constitution, no motor vehicle dealer shall be authorized to collect and remit sales taxes on motor vehicles under this section. No motor vehicle dealer shall seek compensation from the state of Missouri or its agencies if a court of competent jurisdiction declares that the retention of two percent of the motor vehicle sales tax is unconstitutional and orders the return of such revenues.
11. (1) Every motor vehicle dealer licensed under section 301.560 , as soon as technologically possible following the development and maintenance of a modernized, integrated system for the titling of vehicles, issuance and renewal of vehicle registrations, issuance and renewal of driver's licenses and identification cards, and perfection and release of liens and encumbrances on vehicles, to be funded by the motor vehicle administration technology fund as created in section 301.558 , shall collect and remit the sales tax required under this section on all motor vehicles that such dealer sells. In collecting and remitting this sales tax, motor vehicle dealers shall be subject to all applicable provisions under sections 144.010 to 144.527 .
(2) The director of revenue may promulgate all necessary rules and regulations for the administration of this subsection. Any rule or portion of a rule, as that term is defined in section 536.010 , that is created under the authority delegated in this subsection shall become effective only if it complies with and is subject to all of the provisions of chapter 536 and, if applicable, section 536.028 . This subsection and chapter 536 are nonseverable and if any of the powers vested with the general assembly pursuant to chapter 536 to review, to delay the effective date, or to disapprove and annul a rule are subsequently held unconstitutional, then the grant of rulemaking authority and any rule proposed or adopted after August 28, 2023, shall be invalid and void.
(RSMo 1939 § 11412, A.L. 1941 p. 698, A.L. 1943 p. 1012, A.L. 1945 p. 1865, A.L. 1947 V. II p. 431, A.L. 1951 p. 854, A.L. 1961 p. 627, A.L. 1974 H.B. 1593, A.L. 1975 S.B. 92, A.L. 1977 S.B. 367, A.L. 1985 H.B. 280, et al., A.L. 1997 H.B. 394, A.L. 2009 H.B. 683, A.L. 2011 S.B. 356, A.L. 2019 S.B. 89 merged with S.B. 368, A.L. 2020 H.B. 1963, A.L. 2023 S.B. 398) (1978) Constitutional provision imposing additional sales tax on sellers shall apply to tax on motor vehicles and trailers, for it is not a different type of sales tax but only provides for different manner of collection. State ex rel. Conservation Commission v. LePage (Mo.), 566 S.W.2d 209. (1982) "Dirt bikes" are motor vehicles for purposes of the sales tax law, and seller is not required to remit sales tax. Lake & Trail Sports Center v. Director of Revenue (Mo.), 631 S.W.2d 339. (1994) When taxing statutes are ambiguous, they are "construed narrowly against the taxing authority, and in favor of the taxpayer". Moore Leasing, Inc. v. Director of Revenue, 869 S.W.2d 760 (Mo.).
Source: Open US Law by Vaquill AI (CC BY 4.0)URL: https://revisor.mo.gov/main/OneSection.aspx?section=144.070Fetched: 10/17/2026