tax evasion

American  

noun

1. the nonpayment of taxes, as through the failure to report taxable income.

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tax evasion British  

noun

1. reduction or minimization of tax liability by illegal methods Compare tax avoidance

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Etymology

Origin of tax evasion

First recorded in 1920–25

Example Sentences

With large unpaid sums at stake, tax evasion counts as a felony that can lead to prison time.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 6, 2026

Tax avoidance is different to tax evasion, which is a criminal offence.

From BBC • Mar. 15, 2026

At the time of his video, Ver was under criminal indictment for millions in tax evasion and living on the Spanish island of Mallorca.

From Salon • Jan. 23, 2026

Most notably, he was found guilty of taking bribes from Samsung in exchange for favours to the conglomerate's then chairman, Lee Kun-hee, who had been convicted of tax evasion.

From Barron's • Jan. 16, 2026

Colonel Korn was the lawyer, and if Colonel Korn assured him that fraud, extortion, currency manipulation, embezzlement, income tax evasion and black-market speculations were legal, Colonel Cathcart was in no position to disagree with him.

From "Catch-22" by Joseph Heller