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income tax

American

noun

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

income tax British

noun

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

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of income tax

First recorded in 1790–1800

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Trusts face top income tax rates of 37% and capital gains rates of 20% at much lower income thresholds.

From Barron's • May 16, 2026

This applies to federal income tax and is limited to workers who customarily and regularly receive tips, including servers.

From MarketWatch • May 14, 2026

Individual income tax revenue was $2.7 trillion of this amount, or 87 percent of federal spending.

From Slate • May 11, 2026

Until Friday, however, we were unfamiliar with Kelsey Plum, would-be income tax sage.

From Los Angeles Times • May 6, 2026

Dora was having trouble with her income tax, for she was entangled in that curious enigma which said the business was illegal and then taxed her for it.

From "Cannery Row" by John Steinbeck

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023