tax collector

Meanings

1. 1nouncountable

   A person or organization employed by the government to collect taxes from people and businesses.

   Grammar: Countable noun: a tax collector, the tax collectors, tax collectors.

   Patterns

   • work as a tax collector
   • the tax collector for the region

   She works as a tax collector for the local council.

   The tax collector visited the shop to demand unpaid taxes.

   In some countries, tax collectors are feared because they can seize property.

2. 2nouncountable

   A government department or agency responsible for collecting taxes.

   Grammar: Often used with 'the' to refer to the department: the tax collector.

   Patterns

   • the tax collector
   • contact the tax collector

   He received a letter from the tax collector about his overdue payments.

   The tax collector has the power to audit your business.

Word forms

Common combinations

local tax collector

The local tax collector is responsible for property taxes.

tax collector's office

You need to go to the tax collector's office to pay the fee.

corrupt tax collector

The novel portrays a corrupt tax collector who steals from the poor.

federal tax collector

The federal tax collector, the IRS, handles income tax.

Synonyms and how they differ

taxman

Informal, often disapproving; refers to the tax authorities or officials.

revenue officer

More formal; used in some countries for a tax official.

Word family

tax noun

Money paid to the government.

collect verb

To gather or bring together.

collection noun

The act of collecting.

Commonly confused: tax collector or taxi collector?

Practice

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

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