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

Local officials said the windfall for teachers, funded by a portion of the parish’s sales tax, reflects an influx of economic activity that is helping to revitalize a slumping region.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 12, 2026

An ordinance passed in 1968 lets the school board collect a 1% sales tax to fund teacher bonuses.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 12, 2026

County were asked to decide on increasing the sales tax by half a cent in order to offset federal spending cuts on healthcare.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 4, 2026

The county currently has a base sales tax rate of 9.75%, and cities impose local taxes on top of that.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 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