sales tax

American  

noun

sales taxes plural

1. a tax on receipts from sales, usually added to the selling price by the seller.

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sales tax British  

noun

1. a tax levied on retail sales receipts and added to selling prices by retailers

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• sales taxes
  plural

Etymology

Origin of sales tax

First recorded in 1920–25

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

sales tax

Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi swept to a supermajority in February and promptly opened the spending taps, including a pledge to suspend the sales tax on food.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 28, 2026

Massachusetts: Most retail items under $2,500 are exempt from sales tax Aug. 8-9.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 23, 2026

These prices are likely to continue facing mixed cues, including the situation in the Middle East, a weak yen, government energy subsidies, rising packaging costs, and planned food sales tax cuts, economists say.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 23, 2026

Hochul also said she would pursue legislation to repeal sales tax exemptions for massive data centers in the state.

From Barron's ● Jul. 14, 2026

“Okay, there’s sales tax on the stuff that’s not food....Uh, eight times eight, carry the six...”

From "The Smartest Kid in the Universe" by Chris Grabenstein