sales tax

noun

: a tax levied on the sale of goods and services that is usually calculated as a percentage of the purchase price and collected by the seller

Examples of sales tax in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The Democratic candidate for governor is proposing to allow cities and counties to temporarily suspend or eliminate local sales tax on groceries, baby formula, diapers, feminine hygiene products and other necessities. — Riley Bunch, AJC.com, 4 Sep. 2026

The state by October has to set its bond district for the projects — which will indicate what parts of those counties will not receive financing via incremental state sales tax dollars given those will instead go to paying off the project. — Sofi Zeman, Kansas City Star, 1 Sep. 2026

The deal comes with a state sales tax break on data center equipment, part of a broader effort by Louisiana officials to compete with other states for AI investment. — Drew Hawkins, NPR, 27 Aug. 2026

The sales tax measure was placed on the ballot earlier this year to help stave off cuts to the region’s struggling public transit agencies that have yet to see ridership levels return to pre-pandemic levels. — Grace Hase, Mercury News, 27 Aug. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1921, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for sales tax

• almanacs
• carrybacks
• haversacks
• lumberjacks
• maniacs
• microcracks
• minimax
• paperbacks
• parallax
• quarterbacks
• sticklebacks
• telefax

Kids Definition

sales tax

noun

: a tax paid on the purchase of goods and services and collected by the seller

Legal Definition

sales tax

noun

: a tax levied on the sale of goods and services that is usually calculated as a percentage of the purchase price and collected by the seller