THE MISSOURI TAX SYSTEM 87 
private car tax; (2) the poll tax; (3) the inheritance tax; 
(4) the income tax; (5) special taxes on business, including 
incorporation taxes, the corporation franchise tax, the 
foreign insurance company tax, and the express company 
tax; (6) the gasoline tax and motor vehicle licenses; and 
(7) miscellaneous business and non-business licenses and 
permits. This order of treatment is not intended to indicate 
the relative importance of the several sources of tax revenue. 
The General Property Tax 
The general property tax is an important element in the 
state revenue system of Missouri, and predominates in the 
finances of all local governments in the state. The real 
=state and the tangible and intangible property of indi- 
viduals and corporations are taxed at the same rate. The 
required uniformity of rates is, however, applicable only to a 
given taxing jurisdiction, and the combined state and local 
rate on property is not necessarily the same in the case of 
any two local governmental divisions. 
Merchants are taxed at general property tax rates on the 
largest amount of goods, wares, and merchandise owned or 
under their control between the first Mondays of March and 
of June in each year, and manufacturers are similarly taxed 
on all raw material and finished products, as well as tools, 
machinery, and appliances used or owned. These taxes on 
merchants and manufactures constitute a special category 
of general property taxes, which in official state sources is 
referred to as the “Merchants and Manufacturers Tax,” 
In form this tax is a license tax, but in fact it is a property 
tax. 
The exemptions from the general property tax are com- 
paratively few in number. As has been seen, the constitu- 
tion provides for the exemption of public property, ceme- 
teries, and a certain amount of real property when used for 
charitable, religious, or educational purposes. Shares of 
stock in manufacturing companies are not taxable to the 
owners. It has been held by court decision that, if a cor- 
poration pays taxes on its property, the taxing of stock- 
1 Specific mention of the merchants and manufacturers tax is made in this 
-hapter in order that its status as a property tax may be definitely established.