direct tax

American  

noun

Government.

1. a tax exacted directly from the persons who will bear the burden of it (without reimbursement to them at the expense of others), as a poll tax, a general property tax, or an income tax.

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direct tax British  

noun

1. a tax paid by the person or organization on which it is levied Compare indirect tax

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Other Word Forms

• direct taxation
  noun

Etymology

Origin of direct tax

An Americanism dating back to 1785–90

Compare meaning

How does direct-tax compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• direct tax vs. indirect tax

Example Sentences

He renewed his call for direct tax rebates from the state’s enormous $17.5 billion budget surplus.

From Seattle Times • Apr. 19, 2023

This is a direct tax on the annual profits of businesses - essentially, a form of income tax for companies.

From BBC • Jul. 12, 2022

From April to June 16, the government's direct tax collection rose 45% year-on-year to 3.4 trillion rupees, while indirect tax collection in April-May rose nearly 30%.

From Reuters • Jun. 23, 2022

Nevertheless, courts have generally understood a direct tax to be a levy on income or wealth, as opposed to a tax on purchases or services.

From Washington Post • Feb. 14, 2019

British Columbia has a direct tax on property and on income.

From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 5, Slice 2 "Camorra" to "Cape Colony" by Various