All states · Updated for 2026
How to pay a nanny in Missouri
Everything a Missouri family has to do to pay a nanny, housekeeper or caregiver legally: the taxes, the registrations, the forms, and the deadlines. CareTab does the math and reminds you; you keep paying them the way you already do.
The short version
- Federal: withhold 7.65% Social Security and Medicare from their pay and match it; pay FUTA (0.6% of the first $7,000.00); file Schedule H with your 1040; give them a W-2 by Jan 31.
- Missouri unemployment tax: register with Missouri Department of Labor, Division of Employment Security (DES) after household (domestic) employers: $1,000 or more in cash wages in a calendar quarter (federal household-employer standard; not re-verified against a des publication in this pass); new employers pay 2.38% on the first $9,000.00 of wages; file MODES-4 Quarterly Contribution and Wage Report (UInteract) quarterly.
- Missouri income tax: withhold per MO W-4.
- New hire report: within 20 days of their start date.
- Minimum wage: $15.00/hour. Overtime: 1.5× over 40 h/week for live-out nannies.
- Paid sick leave: not mandated by the state.
- Workers' compensation: Not verified in this pass. Missouri's Workers' Compensation Law has historically excluded domestic servants in a private home (and employers with fewer than five employees outside construction) — confirm with the Missouri Division of Workers' Compensation.
Step by step
- Get an EIN from the IRS (free, online, 10 minutes).
- Have your nanny complete Form I-9 and, if they want federal income tax withheld, a W-4 and MO W-4.
- File the Missouri new-hire report within 20 days at the state site.
- Register with Missouri Department of Labor, Division of Employment Security (DES) once you cross household (domestic) employers: $1,000 or more in cash wages in a calendar quarter (federal household-employer standard; not re-verified against a des publication in this pass) (registration).
- Each payday: track hours, pay at least minimum wage and overtime, withhold 7.65%, give a pay stub.
- Each quarter: file MODES-4 Quarterly Contribution and Wage Report (UInteract). Last day of the month after each quarter. 2026 taxable wage base $9,000 (down from $9,500) and new-employer rate 2.376% ('All Others', including rate adjustments) per the DES employer tax-rate page.
- January: W-2 to your nanny, W-2/W-3 to the SSA, MO W-3 Transmittal of Tax Statements (with W-2s) to the state. April: Schedule H with your 1040.
Run your numbers
Use the free Missouri nanny tax calculator: take-home pay, what you withhold, and your total cost including employer taxes.
Frequently asked
Do I have to pay nanny taxes in Missouri?
Yes. Once you pay a household employee $3,000.00 or more in a year you owe Social Security and Medicare (7.65% withheld from your nanny and 7.65% from you), and FUTA once you pay $1,000.00 in any quarter. Missouri unemployment tax applies after household (domestic) employers: $1,000 or more in cash wages in a calendar quarter (federal household-employer standard; not re-verified against a des publication in this pass).
Do I withhold Missouri income tax from my nanny?
Yes, using MO W-4 your nanny fills out. CareTab computes it each paycheck.
What forms do I file in Missouri?
MODES-4 Quarterly Contribution and Wage Report (UInteract) quarterly with Missouri Department of Labor, Division of Employment Security (DES), MO W-3 Transmittal of Tax Statements (with W-2s) annually, a W-2 for your nanny and W-3 to the SSA by Jan 31, and Schedule H with your federal return.
Does my nanny get overtime in Missouri?
Live-out nannies get 1.5× over 40 hours a week. Live-in nannies are exempt from overtime in Missouri. Missouri minimum wage $15.00 for 2026 (Proposition A; HB 567 removed the CPI adjustments scheduled from 2027). Overtime after 40 hours/week; live-in domestic workers are exempt from overtime under FLSA. Kansas City and St. Louis 1% earnings taxes are not computed by the engine.
What is the minimum wage for a nanny in Missouri?
$15.00 per hour in 2026 (schedule: $13.75 from 2025-01-01, $15.00 from 2026-01-01).
Pay your Missouri nanny legally for $14.99/month
Hours, paychecks with every tax computed, pay stubs, PTO, and a filing calendar with MODES-4 Quarterly Contribution and Wage Report (UInteract) pre-filled. 14-day free trial, no card needed.
Start free trialSources: Missouri Department of Revenue — 2026 Missouri Withholding Tax Formula (Employer's Tax Guide pp. 12–13); Missouri Division of Employment Security — Employer tax rates (2026 taxable wage base $9,000; new employer 2.376%); Missouri Department of Labor — 2026 Minimum Wage ($15.00). Rules for 2026 are provisional. General information, not tax or legal advice.