tax

noun, often attributive

\ˈtaks

Definition of tax

(Entry 1 of 3)

1a : a charge usually of money imposed by authority on persons or property for public purposes

b : a sum levied on members of an organization to defray expenses

2 : a heavy demand

tax

verb

taxed; taxing; taxes

Definition of tax (Entry 2 of 3)

transitive verb

1 : to levy a tax on

2 : to make onerous and rigorous demands on the job taxed her strength

3 : charge, accuse taxed him with neglect of duty also : censure

4 : to assess or determine judicially the amount of (costs in a court action)

5 obsolete : to enter (a name) in a list there went out a decree … that all the world should be taxed — Luke 2:1 (King James Version)

tax-

combining form

variants: or taxo- or less commonly taxi-

Definition of tax- (Entry 3 of 3)

: arrangement taxeme taxidermy

Other Words from tax Synonyms More Example Sentences Learn More about tax

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Synonyms for tax

Synonyms: Noun

assessment, duty, imposition, impost, levy

Synonyms: Verb

strain, stretch, test, try

Examples of tax in a Sentence

Noun

The decision was made to raise taxes. He was accused of evading taxes. What was your income before taxes? What is the amount of tax to be paid? What was your income before tax?

Verb

He believes in taxing the rich to give to the poor. You are taxed according to your income. puzzles that tax your brain

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun

In some cases, that could mean higher rents on apartments or more tax dollars spent on a new bridge. — Adam Vaccaro, BostonGlobe.com, "Tariffs are making it more expensive to build in Boston — and that could push rents even higher," 12 July 2018 The Heat still likes Johnson but wants to thin its roster and create more payroll flexibility, with Miami just $3 million from the $123 million luxury tax threshold. — Barry Jackson, miamiherald, "Tyler Johnson contract creating challenges, and these interesting future options for Heat," 12 July 2018 Some people have commented on the video calling it a waste of tax dollars. — Asia Fields, The Seattle Times, "Lip-syncing cops in Virginia challenge Seattle police in viral video," 10 July 2018 In the original version of the measure, the tax was 2 percent. — Trisha Thadani, SFChronicle.com, "SF supervisors committee tinkers with tax measures on cannabis, ride services," 13 July 2018 Bell has committed to keep 4,500 employees in Fort Worth through 2020 and 3,900 workers through 2028, under terms of a $13.5 million tax incentive deal with the city of Fort Worth. — Gordon Dickson, star-telegram, "Bell just got a big military aircraft contract. Will Fort Worth get any new jobs?," 12 July 2018 But California is home to the first soda tax; Berkeley passed one in 2014. — Laura Mccrystal, Philly.com, "California banned new soda taxes. Could it happen in Pennsylvania?," 12 July 2018 That money comes from taxpayers who decided to direct $1 from their tax liability on their annual income tax returns to the system. The state matches money that eligible candidates raise in increments of up to $250. — Joshua Miller, BostonGlobe.com, "Gonzalez, Massie get cash infusion from public financing," 12 July 2018 No amount of tax cuts for the rich or appointments of conservative justices to the Supreme Court is worth the endorsement of cruel treatment of other human beings. — Ted Slowik, Daily Southtown, "Slowik: Trump, race and why it seems like a hate-fueled confrontation might happen anywhere, anytime," 12 July 2018

Recent Examples on the Web: Verb

The list of tariffs proposed July 10 adds to the collection of parts that would be taxed, including such components as television antennas and some parts for TV receivers. — WSJ, "From Seafood to Mattresses: How the Latest Tariffs Would Affect U.S. Businesses," 12 July 2018 The initiative petition would have taxed individuals on any income earned above $1 million to pay for education and transportation. — Jason Lewis, BostonGlobe.com, "Should the Legislature revive the push for a millionaires tax?," 5 July 2018 The options include a Qualified Domestic Relations Order that sets up future payments to a lower-earning spouse from a higher-earning spouse’s retirement account, which would be taxed at the lower earner’s rate. — New York Times, "‘Hurry Up and Get a Divorce’? For the Rich, There’s an Incentive," 2 July 2018 That’s one of the reasons Supervisor Yee supported a recent ballot initiative, Proposition C, that will tax commercial and warehouse space in San Francisco to fund early child care initiatives (the measure barely passed during last week’s election). — Patrick Sisson, Curbed, "Why do young parents move away? Our cities aren’t designed for kids," 19 June 2018 The legislation also would have taxed business utilities at a rate of 2 percent for major manufacturing and industrial uses and 4 percent for all other types of uses after July 1. — Julia O'donoghue, NOLA.com, "Louisiana House committee votes down governor's sales tax proposal," 24 May 2018 Under the proposal, a solar developer would be liable for property taxes on its portion of the land, which would be taxed at a higher rate that has yet to be determined. — Susan Demar Lafferty, Daily Southtown, "Will County advances plans for 3 solar farms," 14 May 2018 But the forecast for Nicaragua is in doubt after weeks of deadly clashes between protesters and pro-government forces over an unpopular social security decree that taxed workers more and cut benefits for retirees. — Mimi Whitefield, miamiherald, "Economies in the Americas are poised to expand but plenty of uncertainties could still slow growth | Miami Herald," 14 May 2018 What followed were the infamous Stamp and Townsend acts, which directly taxed the colonists and imposed import duties on various items, including tea. — Hoyt Hilsman, WSJ, "Tariffs Made America Great," 10 July 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'tax.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

History and Etymology for tax

Verb

Middle English, to estimate, assess, tax, from Anglo-French taxer, from Medieval Latin taxare, from Latin, to feel, estimate, censure, frequentative of tangere to touch — more at tangent entry 2

Combining form

Greek taxi-, from taxis

Transitive verb

Medieval Latin taxare to assess for taxation, tax, from Latin, to assess, value, fix

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More Definitions for tax

tax

noun

Financial Definition of tax

What It Is

Taxes are required payments from citizens to governments. The payments fund projects and expenditures that serve the public interest.

How It Works

Most taxes are legislated, meaning that representatives elected by the citizens of a country or region determine what activities to tax, how much to tax, when to collect those taxes, and how to administer the proceeds. Individuals, businesses, and other entities subject to the tax must remit the tax or face enforcement action.

Why It Matters

Taxes are a topic of fierce debate in economics, politics, public policy and investing. For example, one of the most controversial taxes in the United States is the federal income tax. In the U.S., we have a progressive tax, meaning that a person's tax rate rises as income rises.

Economically speaking, one of the biggest effects of taxation is the impact it has on consumption. Generally, consumers will consume less when taxes rise and consume more when taxes fall.

In the investing world, taxes are also a major consideration. Some transactions trigger tax liabilities while others do not. The timing of buying and selling certain investments may trigger different tax liabilities. Ultimately, taxes reduce returns, and wise investors will consider their effects in all of their financial decisions.

Source: Investing Answers

tax

verb

English Language Learners Definition of tax

(Entry 1 of 2)

: to require (someone) to pay a tax

: to require someone to pay a tax on (something)

: to require a lot from (something or someone) : to put demands on (something or someone)

tax

noun

English Language Learners Definition of tax (Entry 2 of 2)

: an amount of money that a government requires people to pay according to their income, the value of their property, etc., and that is used to pay for the things done by the government

See the full definition for tax in the English Language Learners Dictionary

tax

noun

\ˈtaks