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

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

Commerce and Bell Gardens will both place measures on the June ballot proposing a 0.25 percentage point increase in sales tax to recoup general funds the cities would lose due to the ban.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 27, 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

He has previously expressed opposition to the sales tax hike, calling it “the biggest impediment to Abenomics.”

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 25, 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