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

Additionally, Merck will receive a sales tax exemption on materials and a 30% reduction for any building permit fees needed for the expansion. —Taylor O'Connor, Kansas City Star, 23 Nov. 2025

If there were a long-term concern about a shrinking payroll tax base, the logical fix would be to broaden the revenue stream, such as adding a modest national sales tax and dedicating a portion of it to Social Security. —Suzanne Blake, MSNBC Newsweek, 21 Nov. 2025

Currently, SacRT receives one-fifth of a penny in local sales tax support, while many other transit agencies receive a full penny or more. —Ariane Lange, Sacbee.com, 21 Nov. 2025

But a decline in sales tax revenue and business closures since then show something else is needed, the developer said. —Greg Allen, NPR, 21 Nov. 2025

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