tax

/tæks/

/tæks/

Other forms: taxes; taxed; taxing

A charge or fee that a government imposes on a citizen or business is called a tax. Taxes help to pay for the services people (and businesses) receive from the government.

There are many different kinds of taxes—on purchases, property, and income, for example—but all tax money is meant to pay for things that benefit people in society. For example, in many places schools, road repairs, fire departments, and health care for elderly and disabled people are all paid for with money from taxes. As a verb, tax can either mean "impose a tax on" or "put a strain or burden on."

Definitions of tax

1. noun

   charge against a citizen's person or property or activity for the support of government
   synonyms: revenue enhancement, taxation

   types:

   single tax

   a system of taxation in which a tax is levied on a single commodity (usually land)

   income tax

   a personal tax levied on annual income

   capital gains tax

   a tax on capital gains

   capital levy

   a tax on capital or property

   departure tax

   a tax that is levied when you are departing a country by land or sea or air

   franchise tax

   a tax that is imposed by states on corporations; it depends both on the net worth of the corporation and on its net income attributable to activities within the state

   gift tax

   a tax imposed on transfers of property by gift during the lifetime of the giver

   direct tax

   a tax paid directly by the person or organization on whom it is levied

   indirect tax

   a tax levied on goods or services rather than on persons or organizations

   capitation

   a tax levied on the basis of a fixed amount per person

   graduated tax, progressive tax

   any tax in which the rate increases as the amount subject to taxation increases

   proportional tax

   any tax in which the rate is constant as the amount subject to taxation increases

   degressive tax

   any tax in which the rate decreases as the amount subject to taxation increases

   rates

   a local tax on property (usually used in the plural)

   stamp duty, stamp tax

   a tax collected by requiring a stamp to be purchased and attached (usually on documents or publications)

   pavage

   a tax toward paving streets

   transfer tax

   any tax levied on the passing of title to property

   special assessment

   an additional tax levied on private property for public improvements that enhance the value of the property

   bracket creep

   a movement into a higher tax bracket as taxable income increases

   estimated tax

   income tax paid periodically on income that is not subject to withholding taxes; based on the taxpayer's predicted tax liability

   FICA

   a tax on employees and employers that is used to fund the Social Security system

   withholding, withholding tax

   income tax withheld from employees' wages and paid directly to the government by the employer

   land tax, property tax

   a capital tax on property imposed by municipalities; based on the estimated value of the property

   death duty, death tax, estate tax, inheritance tax

   a tax on the estate of the deceased person

   hidden tax

   a tax paid unwittingly by the consumer (such as ad valorem taxes)

   poll tax

   a tax of a fixed amount per person and payable as a requirement for the right to vote

   poor rates

   a local tax for the relief of the poor

   supertax, surtax

   an additional tax on certain kinds of income that has already been taxed

   duty, tariff

   a government tax on imports or exports

   excise, excise tax

   a tax that is measured by the amount of business done (not on property or income from real estate)

   type of:

   levy

   a charge imposed and collected
2. verb

   levy a tax on
   “Clothing is not taxed in our state”

   types:

   excise

   levy an excise tax on

   tariff

   charge a tariff

   surtax

   levy an extra tax on

   overtax

   tax excessively

   type of:

   impose, levy

   charge and collect payment
3. verb

   set or determine the amount of (a payment such as a fine)
   synonyms: assess

   assess

   charge (a person or a property) with a payment, such as a tax or a fine

   type of:

   determine, set

   fix conclusively or authoritatively
4. verb

   use to the limit
   “you are taxing my patience”

   synonyms: task

   type of:

   extend, strain

   use to the utmost; exert vigorously or to full capacity
5. verb

   make a charge against or accuse
   “They taxed him failure to appear in court”

   type of:

   charge

   make an accusatory claim