stealth tax

British  

noun

1. 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

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Example Sentences

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

From BBC

Appeared in the October 28, 2025, print edition as 'New York’s Annual Stealth Tax Increase'.

From The Wall Street Journal

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

One option would be to introduce a so-called stealth tax - a means of raising revenue which is not explicitly labelled or intended as a tax.

From BBC

“The U.K. is facing a particularly brutal year with high inflation, stealth tax rises and the lagged impact of numerous interest rate hikes still likely to push us into a summer downturn by hammering incomes and confidence,” Thiru said.

From Washington Times