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

See Examples For:

direct tax

According to the paper, he is looking to plug a hole in public finances and shield individuals from direct tax increases.

From BBC ● Aug. 29, 2026

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

“He will also point to the other ideas he has proposed on areas ranging from housing to care for seniors and people with disabilities to higher education affordability to direct tax relief for families.”

From Seattle Times ● Feb. 28, 2022

Instead, Webert’s bill creates the Public School Assistance Fund, which would direct tax revenue to school repairs.

From Washington Post ● Jan. 30, 2022

The streets had never any names until the assessment of the direct tax in the administration of President Adams.

From Nooks and Corners of the New England Coast by Samuel Adams Drake