income tax

noun

: a tax on the net income of an individual or a business

Examples of income tax in a Sentence

Federal income tax will be deducted from your pay. The new law will lower income taxes for most taxpayers.
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.
Hungary offers a number of incentives, including exempting women with four or more children from paying income tax, but is still struggling to coax people to have kids. Jessica Guynn, USA Today, 6 Nov. 2025 The city’s biggest hook on the billionaire set is a personal income tax that is, practically speaking, optional. Liz Hoffman, semafor.com, 6 Nov. 2025 Marklein and Rodriguez have proposed a bill that creates a nonrefundable income tax credit for up to $5,000 in expenses not covered by health insurance related to in vitro fertilization, or IVF. Molly Beck, jsonline.com, 6 Nov. 2025 One is a further extension of the freeze in the thresholds at which people begin to pay the basic and higher rates of income tax. Ian King, CNBC, 5 Nov. 2025 See All Example Sentences for income tax

Word History

First Known Use

1799, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of income tax was in 1799

Cite this Entry

“Income tax.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/income%20tax. Accessed 11 Nov. 2025.

Kids Definition

income tax

noun
ˈin-(ˌ)kəm-
: a tax on the income of a person or business

Legal Definition

income tax

noun
: a tax on the net income of an individual or a business compare excise, property tax
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!