sin tax

American  

noun

Informal.

1. a tax levied on cigarettes, liquor, gambling, or other things considered neither luxuries nor necessities.

---

sin tax British  

noun

1. informal a tax levied on something that is considered morally or medically harmful, such as alcohol or tobacco

---

Etymology

Origin of sin tax

First recorded in 1970–75

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

sin tax

This is not the first time services for the state’s youngest children have been affected by reductions in a sin tax.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 24, 2025

Quebec's tax could be framed as a "sin tax" similar to that placed on alcohol and cigarettes or as a tax on a health risk factor like private insurers charge, Raza said.

From Reuters ● Jan. 12, 2022

Assessments, fees, a sin tax and more are being considered from a philosophical standpoint, Hass said.

From Washington Times ● Nov. 15, 2016

In editorializing for the sin tax, The Cleveland Plain Dealer argued that the city had a landlord’s responsibility to pay for upkeep.

From New York Times ● Jul. 21, 2015

Since a hardworking plumber can easily earn twice that in his spare time, many people are likely to be tempted by the quintessential capitalist sin: tax cheating.

From Time Magazine Archive