Sales Tax in Whitewater, Missouri in 2025

We'll walk you through how the sales tax rate is determined for Whitewater and address some common questions you may have. We'll also cover how to collect, audit, and remit sales tax in Whitewater.

Plus, we’ll share the best solution that will ensure you are always compliant across the entire sales tax lifecycle.

Disclaimer: Our sales tax data is updated on a quarterly basis.

Whitewater Sales Tax Rate 2025

Whitewater is located in Cape Girardeau County in Missouri, United States, and has a sales tax rate of 5.73%. This includes local and state sales tax rates.

Here is the breakdown of the Whitewater's sales tax:

Tax Jurisdiction	Sales Tax Rate
State Tax	4.23%
County Tax	1.50%
Combined Rate	5.73%

Sales Tax Rates in Whitewater by Zip Codes and Districts

Let’s see the sales tax rates in Whitewater broken down by zip codes and districts:

District	Zip Codes	Combined Sales Tax Rate
CAPE GIRARDEAU COUNTY|WHITEWATER TOWN (CAPE GIRARDEAU COUNTY)	63785, 63740	5.73%

How Does the Whitewater Sales Tax Compare to the Rest of Missouri?

Whitewater’s 5.73% sales tax rate is 6.26% lower than the highest sales tax rate in Missouri, which stands at 11.99% in cities like Hazelwood.

It is 1.00% higher than the lowest sales tax rate in Missouri, which stands at 4.73% in cities like Vista Village.

To give you a better idea, here’s a comparison of Whitewater sales tax rates with a few other cities in Missouri:

City	Sales Tax Rates
Vista Village	4.73%
Whitewater	5.73%
Worth Village	6.60%
Lake St. Louis	7.95%-8.95%
Urbana	8.23%
Cuba	9.73%
Frontenac	9.24%-11.24%
Hazelwood	9.99%-11.99%

You can also compare the sales tax rate of Whitewater against the Missouri cities closest in population size:

• Humphreys Village's sales tax rate is 6.98%
• Clifton Hill's sales tax rate is 5.98%

What Creates Sales Tax Nexus in Whitewater?

Whitewater has the same nexus rules as mentioned in the Missouri state tax law. It doesn’t have any separate sales tax nexus rules.

Read More: Check out this detailed guide on Sales Tax in Missouri.

Any of the these factors can create a  Missouri sales tax nexus in Whitewater: 

• Physical Location: Businesses that lease or own a store, office, warehouse, or other place of business in Missouri. Remote businesses with places of business in Missouri must also collect use tax on taxable sales in the state. 

• Employee Location or Travel: Businesses with employees, brokers, agents, independent contractors, or other representatives in the state. They can be residents or regularly visit Missouri on behalf of the business. In such cases, businesses will have to collect use tax on any taxable sales in the state. 

• Economic Nexus: Remote sellers that sell more than $100,000 of taxable products in the previous 12-month period.

What Products Are Exempt from Whitewater Sales Tax?

Sales tax exemptions for Whitewater are granted by the Missouri sales tax law. As a result, these items enjoy sales tax exemption in Whitewater:

• Animals and poultry grown for breeding and feeding purposes.
• Medicines and vaccines for animals or poultry kept as food or for other purposes like fiber.
• Renting of film or records for public commercial display.
• Handicraft items if the seller and their spouse are over 65 years of age and if these sales don’t constitute the majority of their income.
• Machinery, equipment, and devices purchased, leased, and used solely for preventing or monitoring air pollution.
• Metered water service, electricity, natural, artificial, or propane gas, wood, coal, or home heating oil for domestic use. Local taxes can be reapplied.
• Tickets to museums, zoos, and planetariums owned or operated by a municipality or other governmental organizations.
• Medical devices, medicines like insulin, hospital beds, and accessories.

Who Needs a Sales Permit in Whitewater?

The state usually grants a sales permit or business license in the United States. 

Any business planning to sell tangible personal property or services — such as accounting services or massage therapy, entrance fees to amusement places like skating rinks or theme parks —  must apply for a sales tax license. 

However, you’ll need separate licenses if you plan to sell or operate as:

• Motor fuel supplier.
• Permissive supplier
• Distributor
• Terminal operator or transporter, 
• Cigarette or other tobacco products wholesaler.

You can register for a seller’s tax permit online at the Missouri Department of Revenue or file a Missouri Tax Registration Application (Form 2643). 

How to Collect Sales Tax in Whitewater

Since Missouri uses origin-based sales tax sourcing for intrastate sales and destination-based sales tax sourcing for interstate sales, the same applies to Whitewater as well:

• Intrastate Missouri sales: Missouri is an ‘origin-based’ sales tax sourcing state. This means that sales tax is charged at the rate of the location where the order originates.  

For instance, your business is located in Humphreys Village, Missouri, and you make a sale to a buyer in Whitewater, Missouri. Then, you should charge the buyer the sales tax rate at your Humphreys Village location.

• Interstate Missouri sales: For interstate sales, you should charge the sales tax rate at your buyer’s location. 

For instance, if your business is located in Los Angeles, California, and you sell to a buyer in Whitewater, Missouri, you should charge the buyer the Whitewater sales tax rate.    

Learn more about origin-based and destination-based sales tax sourcing here.

How to File and Pay Sales Tax in Whitewater

There are two options to file and pay Whitewater sales tax returns:

• File and pay online: Pay online at MyTaxMissouri. You can also upload your return as an Excel file using their pre-formatted template. Taxpayers reporting sales tax from three or more Missouri business locations are required to file electronically unless they request and receive a waiver.
• File by mail: File Form 53-1 Sales Tax Return and pay with check or online
• Or, you can say hello to stress-free sales tax management with Zamp. 

With our white-glove onboarding, accurate calculations, proactive nexus monitoring, and simple click-to-approve filings, we manage all your sales tax responsibilities across the United States.