surtax

noun

sur·​tax ˈsər-ˌtaks How to pronounce surtax (audio)
1
: an extra tax or charge
2
: a graduated income tax in addition to the normal income tax imposed on the amount by which one's net income exceeds a specified sum

Examples of surtax in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The tax is a surtax on individual property for the wealthy on their second homes. Kelly Phillips Erb, Forbes.com, 6 Sep. 2025 Finally, a surtax on incomes of California’s wealthiest families, approved by voters in 2012 to deal with an earlier budget deficit, was supposed to last only a few years, but a 2016 ballot measure extended it to 2030. Dan Walters, Mercury News, 22 Aug. 2025 Because of statutory and constitutional requirements, those totals put Beacon Hill in a position to stash more money into reserves, and set up another sizable surtax surplus that lawmakers will get to dole out to education and transportation investments. State House News Service, Boston Herald, 9 Aug. 2025 The payroll surtax could rise from the current $126 per employee to as high as $420. The Editorial Board, Oc Register, 5 Aug. 2025 See All Example Sentences for surtax

Word History

First Known Use

1881, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of surtax was in 1881

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Cite this Entry

“Surtax.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/surtax. Accessed 13 Oct. 2025.

Kids Definition

surtax

noun
sur·​tax ˈsər-ˌtaks How to pronounce surtax (audio)
: an additional tax over and above a general tax

Legal Definition

surtax

noun
sur·​tax ˈsər-ˌtaks How to pronounce surtax (audio)
: an additional tax over and above a normal tax

More from Merriam-Webster on surtax

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