death duty

American  

noun

British.

1. inheritance tax.

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death duty British  

noun

1. Also called: estate duty.  a tax on property inheritances: in Britain, replaced in 1975 by capital transfer tax and since 1986 by inheritance tax

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Etymology

Origin of death duty

First recorded in 1880–85

Example Sentences

Because a newly adopted finance act imposes an 80% death duty on real property held overseas by any British subject who dies at home.

From Time Magazine Archive

Then along came the Broadway hit My Fair Lady, which has brought in $2,000 a week in royalties, has paid the death duty, upped the estate's value to $2,000,000.

From Time Magazine Archive

Against estates valued at �5,000 or less no death duty will be levied.

From Time Magazine Archive

The average British millionaire dies worth about 2,770,000l., on which the death duty would be 415,500l., leaving the agreeable nest-egg of 2,254,500l. to the heirs.

From British Socialism An Examination of Its Doctrines, Policy, Aims and Practical Proposals by Barker, J. Ellis

There are a good many pages of Gothic type in the later essays, for Stevenson thought it the proper tone in which to speak of death, duty, immortality, and such subjects as that.

From Emerson and Other Essays by Chapman, John Jay

Related Words

• estate tax
• inheritance tax