Meaning & use
tax
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Meanings
nouncountable or uncountable
Money that people and businesses must pay to the government to fund public services.
Grammar: Both forms occur: pay tax, a new tax on fuel.
Patterns
- tax on something
- pay tax on something
The government raised the tax on cigarettes.
You pay tax on the money you earn.
A new tax on sugary drinks started this year.
verbtransitive
To require people or goods to pay money to the government.
Grammar: Takes an object: the state taxes income.
Patterns
- tax something
- tax someone on something
The city taxes hotel rooms to pay for tourism.
Wealthy earners are taxed at a higher rate.
Imported goods are taxed when they enter the country.
verbtransitiveformal
To put heavy demands on someone's strength, patience or abilities.
Grammar: Often used with 'resources' or 'patience': tax someone's patience.
Patterns
- tax someone's patience
- tax resources
The long climb taxed even the fittest runners.
The question taxed my memory.
Constant complaints tax her patience.
Word forms
| plural | taxes |
|---|---|
| third person singular | taxes |
| past tense | taxed |
| -ing form | taxing |
Common combinations
- income tax
- Income tax is deducted from your salary every month.
- pay tax
- Businesses must pay tax on their profits.
- raise taxes
- The council raised taxes to repair roads.
- tax return
- She filed her tax return in March.
- tax cut
- The government promised a tax cut for families.
- tax evasion
- He was jailed for tax evasion.
Synonyms and how they differ
- levy
- Levy is more formal and often applies to a specific charge raised for a purpose.
- duty
- Duty is a tax on particular goods, usually imports or alcohol.
- tariff
- Tariff is a tax on imports and exports, rather than income.
- strain
- Strain is the closest to the third sense, meaning to stretch someone's limits.
Opposites
Word family
Commonly confused: tax or tacks? tax or duty?
tax vs tacks
Tacks are small nails with a wide head, and the word sounds like taxes in the plural, so watch the spelling.
tax vs duty
Duty in the customs sense is a tax on specific goods, while tax is the general word.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'tax' as a verb meaning to put heavy demands on someone?
Choose one answer.
Taxed his strength means the hike made heavy demands on him. The other sentences use tax as a noun for government money.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “tax”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.