sin tax

American  

noun

Informal.

1. a tax levied on cigarettes, liquor, gambling, or other things considered neither luxuries nor necessities.

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sin tax British  

noun

1. informal a tax levied on something that is considered morally or medically harmful, such as alcohol or tobacco

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Etymology

Origin of sin tax

First recorded in 1970–75

Example Sentences

This is not the first time services for the state’s youngest children have been affected by reductions in a sin tax.

From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 24, 2025

Quebec's tax could be framed as a "sin tax" similar to that placed on alcohol and cigarettes or as a tax on a health risk factor like private insurers charge, Raza said.

From Reuters • Jan. 12, 2022

Other options being floated by officials include raising already existing fees and assessments, bumping up personal income tax and property tax rates, or a so-called sin tax on unhealthy products.

From Washington Times • Nov. 15, 2016

Lucy Dadayan, a senior policy analyst with the Nelson A. Rockefeller Institute of Government, said that in general, a sin tax was “very appealing to state officials, as it’s an easy source of additional revenue.”

From New York Times • Mar. 22, 2016

Since a hardworking plumber can easily earn twice that in his spare time, many people are likely to be tempted by the quintessential capitalist sin: tax cheating.

From Time Magazine Archive