income tax

American  

noun

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

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income tax British  

noun

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

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Etymology

Origin of income tax

First recorded in 1790–1800

Example Sentences

Donations of IRA assets are triple-tax-free because no federal income tax is due on contributions, growth or withdrawals.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 3, 2026

Washington State enacted a 9.9% income tax on income over $1 million, effective 2028, its first state income tax.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 30, 2026

The estimate is based on personal income tax withholding trends and includes cash bonuses paid for work performed in 2025 and bonuses deferred from prior years that have been cashed in.

From MarketWatch • Mar. 27, 2026

Florida, with its high concentration of wealth, no state income tax, pro-business policies and balmy weather, has drawn an unusually large number of disaffected California tech moguls.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 16, 2026

By and large the Milagro lawyer’s articles had been fairly innocuous—generalized summaries of welfare problems, advice on how to pay less income tax, on how to apply for and receive food stamps.

From "The Milagro Beanfield War" by John Nichols