sales tax

American  

noun

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

---

sales tax British  

noun

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

---

Etymology

Origin of sales tax

First recorded in 1920–25

Example Sentences

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

Traders and BOJ officials are closely monitoring how Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s planned sales tax cut will affect price trends.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 27, 2026

The document also says the facility will help increase annual state income and sales tax revenues.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 13, 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