stealth tax

British

noun

informal an indirect tax, such as that on fuel or pension funds, esp one of which people are unaware or that is felt to be unfair

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

The move raises additional revenue to pay for public services but is often called a stealth tax by economists because it increases the tax take without a government having to put up rates.

From BBC • Mar. 31, 2026

This is often dubbed a stealth tax because, unlike raising the headline rates, it is not obvious on your payslip.

From BBC • Nov. 26, 2025

One option is though what has been dubbed a stealth tax - a means of raising revenue which is not explicitly labelled or intended as a tax.

From BBC • Oct. 21, 2024

The freeze, which would see a graduate earning £30,000 repay £113 more a year than expected, has been described as a "stealth" tax rise for those affected.

From BBC • Jan. 29, 2022

Amazon, it says, is imposing "a stealth tax on its own wage increase - a clear case of robbing Peter to pay Paul".

From BBC • Oct. 4, 2018

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023