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tax evasion

American  

noun

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


tax evasion British  

noun

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

"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

Etymology

Origin of tax evasion

First recorded in 1920–25

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.

See Examples For:

When law enforcement tries to trace bribes or tax evasion, criminals can easily hide among the hundreds of thousands of legal shell companies whose owners were only using them to lower their taxes.

From MarketWatch Aug. 27, 2026

But his promotion was accelerated when Charlie was sent to prison in Alabama in 2005 after pleading guilty to tax evasion and making illegal campaign contributions.

From The Wall Street Journal Aug. 15, 2026

Davis was charged with six counts of tax evasion.

From BBC Jun. 22, 2026

Comedian Carlos Mencia, who broke out in the early 2000s with his Comedy Central series “Mind of Mencia,” was arrested Thursday morning in Los Angeles on suspicion of a dozen felony tax evasion counts.

From Los Angeles Times Jun. 18, 2026

He respected the law, the nation, and tradition, and no one could accuse him of any greater offense than tax evasion.

From "The House of the Spirits: A Novel" by Isabel Allende

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