sales tax

American  

noun

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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Etymology

Origin of sales tax

First recorded in 1920–25

Example Sentences

Maybe they think the asset tax should be a little lower and the income tax higher, or the sales tax should be lower.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 18, 2026

Australia charges a sales tax of 52 cents on each litre of petrol sold at the pump, which will be halved for three months.

From Barron's • Mar. 30, 2026

Last month, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors responded to the rising costs by cutting $200 million from homelessness programs largely funded by the Measure A half-cent sales tax.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 10, 2026

County Board of Supervisors has backed a proposed half-cent sales tax measure that would generate hundreds of millions of dollars annually for healthcare and public health services.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 3, 2026

Meanwhile, Jake scanned the next customer’s items and did the math in his head, remembering to add sales tax to all non-food items.

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