income tax

American  

noun

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

---

income tax British  

noun

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

---

Etymology

Origin of income tax

First recorded in 1790–1800

Example Sentences

It is mainly due to taxation matters as the company paying a supplementary payment of CNY300 million in enterprise income tax and late payment surcharges for 2020 to 2022, they note.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 4, 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

Streeting is suggesting capital gains tax rates should mirror the three bands of income tax - 20%, 40%, 45%.

From BBC • May 21, 2026

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

From MarketWatch • May 19, 2026

I had observed my father making his way through what, I now suppose, must have been income tax forms.

From "Hunger of Memory" by Richard Rodriguez