income tax

American  

noun

income taxes plural

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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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• income taxes
  plural

Etymology

Origin of income tax

First recorded in 1790–1800

Example Sentences

And as a mother of more than two children, Agi will pay no income tax at all if she returns to work.

From BBC • Jun. 15, 2026

Because this amount is well above the $44,000 threshold for joint filers, up to 85% of your Social Security benefits would be subject to federal income tax.

From MarketWatch • Jun. 15, 2026

True, I pay no income tax to New York.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 4, 2026

You know you’ll pay federal income tax at ordinary income rates.

From MarketWatch • Jun. 3, 2026

I know we went to church to borrow emergency money once, and someone there showed Papa how to do his income tax.

From "March Forward, Girl" by Melba Pattillo Beals