the taxman

noun

informal
: the department of the government that collects taxes
One-third of her salary goes to the taxman.

Example Sentences

Recent Examples on the Web Some wealthy Americans avoid selling those assets — and attracting the taxman — by taking out loans from banks that use the assets as collateral. Aimee Picchi, CBS News, 20 Jan. 2023 Just under a quarter of the prize—24%—will be automatically withheld for federal taxes by the IRS, immediately cutting the payout by around $170 million to roughly $538 million, though the taxman is not done yet. Robert Hart, Forbes, 11 Jan. 2023 Having a swimming pool is assumed to increase the value of a property, leading to higher real estate taxes, and many people try to avoid mentioning it to the taxman. Jeremy Kahn, Fortune, 30 Aug. 2022 To be sure, gains that come into retirement accounts are tax-deferred, but when the money is eventually paid out to the retiree, the taxman will be waiting for his slice. The Editors, National Review, 11 Aug. 2022 But claiming that much money is likely to draw attention from grifters, the taxman, and friends and family members, experts say. Laura L. Davis, USA TODAY, 27 July 2022 That got the attention of Her Majesty’s Inland Revenue — the taxman — and police and tax officers raided Mr. Piggott’s home, arresting him and seizing bank statements and other documents. Phil Davison, Washington Post, 31 May 2022 The Watchdog has been dogging the taxman for years over Texas’ peculiar and seemingly unfair property tax laws. Dallas News, 20 Apr. 2022 Business moguls Ty Warner and Kevin Kalkhoven have learned through painful experience how to — and how not to — avoid the taxman legally. Paul Kiel, ProPublica, 8 Dec. 2021 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'the taxman.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Dictionary Entries Near the taxman

Cite this Entry

“The taxman.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/the%20taxman. Accessed 7 Jun. 2023.

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!