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

April is typically a good month for the U.S. budget because of the influx of income tax payments around the Internal Revenue Service’s mid-month deadline.

From Barron's • May 12, 2026

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

From Slate • May 11, 2026

A combined state and local income tax of as much as 14.8%.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 7, 2026

“With I bonds, you can defer federal income tax on the interest until you redeem or until the 30-year maturity. That’s a pretty significant benefit,” he said.

From MarketWatch • May 6, 2026

Please don’t try to file an income tax at your age.

From "Our America: Life and Death on the South Side of Chicago" by LeAlan Jones