income tax

American  

noun

1. a tax levied on incomes, especially an annual government tax on personal incomes.

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income tax British  

noun

1. a personal tax, usually progressive, levied on annual income subject to certain deductions

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Etymology

Origin of income tax

First recorded in 1790–1800

Example Sentences

True, I pay no income tax to New York.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 4, 2026

For 2021-22 she had a gross income of £140,496, paying just over £51,500 in income tax.

From BBC • Jun. 1, 2026

Despite reporting millions of dollars in revenue, he paid no income tax in some years and as little as $750 in others.

From Salon • May 25, 2026

Texas also offers benefits like lower taxes, since it has no state income tax for employees or companies.

From MarketWatch • May 19, 2026

Some draw on government help in the form of food stamps, housing vouchers, the earned income tax credit, or—for those coming off welfare in relatively generous states—subsidized child care.

From "Nickel and Dimed: On (Not) Getting By in America" by Barbara Ehrenreich