GST

Meanings

1. 1abbreviationuncountablefinance

   Goods and services tax: a tax added to the price of most things people buy, collected by sellers and paid to the government.

   Grammar: Usually no article: the price includes GST.

   Patterns

   • GST on something
   • price including GST

   The price on the tag includes GST.

   Businesses with high sales must register for GST.

   GST on food is lower than on luxury goods in some countries.

2. 2abbreviationuncountablespecialist

   In astronomy and timekeeping, Greenwich sidereal time, a star-based measure of time at the Greenwich meridian.

   Grammar: Specialist use; context decides which meaning is intended.

   The astronomer converted the observation to GST.

   Telescope logs note the GST at the start of each session.

Common combinations

include GST

Do these prices include GST?

charge GST

The shop charges GST on all items.

register for GST

Freelancers may need to register for GST.

GST refund

Tourists can claim a GST refund when leaving.

GST-free

Basic groceries are GST-free in that country.

Synonyms and how they differ

VAT

This is the value-added tax used in the UK and EU, and works in a similar way but is not named the same.

sales tax

This is charged only at the final sale to the customer, as in most US states, while GST is collected at each stage.

consumption tax

This is a broader category into which GST falls.

Word family

tax noun

money paid to the government

taxable adjective

subject to tax

GST-registered adjective

officially listed to collect GST

Commonly confused: GST or VAT? GST or PST?

Practice

Make it your own

Write a sentence using “GST”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

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