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Meaning & use

tax burden

noun·Academicfinance

Last updated

UK/ˈtæks ˌbɜːdn/
US/ˈtæks ˌbɝːdn/

Meanings

  1. nouncountable

    The total amount of taxes a person, company or country has to pay, especially when it feels heavy.

    Grammar: Often singular with the: the tax burden fell on small firms.

    Patterns

    • the tax burden on someone
    • reduce the tax burden

    Rising prices and a higher tax burden left many families struggling.

    The new law lowers the tax burden for small businesses.

    Retirees face a smaller tax burden than people in work.

  2. nounsingulartechnical

    The question of who actually ends up paying a tax, whatever the official rules say.

    Grammar: Technical economics sense, usually used with the: the tax burden of the new duty falls on consumers.

    Patterns

    • the tax burden of something
    • shift the tax burden

    Economists argue the tax burden of the levy falls mostly on shoppers.

    Companies can pass the tax burden to customers through higher prices.

    The study measures how the tax burden is shared between workers and employers.

Word forms

pluraltax burdens

Common combinations

heavy tax burden
A heavy tax burden discouraged new investment.
reduce the tax burden
The government promised to reduce the tax burden on families.
shift the tax burden
Critics said the plan shifts the tax burden to the middle class.
bear the tax burden
Small shops bear the tax burden in this district.
overall tax burden
The overall tax burden rose slightly last year.
ease the tax burden
New credits ease the tax burden for parents.

Synonyms and how they differ

tax load
Tax load is a less common phrase and is mostly used in business.
taxation
Taxation is the system or act of taxing and does not suggest a heavy weight.
tax bill
Tax bill is the specific amount someone owes, whereas tax burden is the broader weight of taxes over time.
fiscal pressure
Fiscal pressure is a formal term for money strain on governments or firms and does not focus on taxes alone.

Opposites

tax relieftax break

Word family

tax noun
money paid to the government
tax verb
to charge a tax on something
taxation noun
the system of collecting taxes
burden noun
a heavy load or duty
taxable adjective
subject to tax

Commonly confused: tax burden or tax liability?

tax burden vs tax liability

Tax liability is the exact amount you legally owe, while tax burden describes how heavy the payments are overall.

Practice

The government cut several fees to ease the ______ on low-income families.

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