sales tax

American  

noun

sales taxes plural

1. a tax on receipts from sales, usually added to the selling price by the seller.

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sales tax British  

noun

1. a tax levied on retail sales receipts and added to selling prices by retailers

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• sales taxes
  plural

Etymology

Origin of sales tax

First recorded in 1920–25

Example Sentences

Last month, Los Angeles County voters narrowly passed a different half-cent sales tax hike that’s expected to raise $1 billion annually to pay for healthcare.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 23, 2026

Known as the “Danish capital of America,” the city lures in more than one million tourists a year, generating around $9 million annual in hotel and sales tax revenue, according to the New York Post.

From MarketWatch • Jun. 23, 2026

He added that he was also intrigued at the American practice of not including sales tax in the listed price of an item, something that is commonly done in England.

From BBC • Jun. 19, 2026

"All he has to do is get rid of the sales tax, and he wouldn't have that kind of pressure," he said of Macron.

From Barron's • Jun. 15, 2026

Meanwhile, Jake scanned the next customer’s items and did the math in his head, remembering to add sales tax to all non-food items.

From "The Smartest Kid in the Universe" by Chris Grabenstein