tax

Universal Words noun, verb noun [C,U] ~ (on sth) money that you have to pay to the government so that it can pay for public services. People pay tax according to their income and businesses pay tax according to their profits. Tax is also often paid on goods and services: to raise / cut taxes * tax increases / cuts * changes in tax rates * to pay over ｣1000 in tax * profits before / after tax * a tax on cigarettes / alcohol * Income tax will be deducted by your employer. seealsoCORPORATIONTAX, COUNCILTAX, INHERITANCETAX, POLLTAX, ROADTAX, SALESTAX, VALUEADDEDTAX, WITHHOLDINGTAX verb [VN] 1 to put a tax on sb/sth; to make sb pay tax: Any interest payments are taxed as part of your income. * His declared aim was to tax the rich. 2 (BrE) to pay tax on a vehicle so that you may use it on the roads: The car is taxed until July. 3 to need a great amount of physical or mental effort: The questions did not tax me. * The problem is currently taxing the brains of the nation's experts (= making them think very hard). PHRASALVERBS tax sb with sth (formal) to accuse sb of doing sth wrong: I taxed him with avoiding his responsibility as a parent.