internal revenue

American  

noun

1. the revenue of a government from any domestic source, usually considered to be any source other than customs.

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internal revenue British  

noun

1. government income derived from taxes, etc, within the country

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Etymology

Origin of internal revenue

An Americanism dating back to 1790–1800

Example Sentences

Dock’s 1894 certificate, signed by a collector of internal revenue in Portland, Ore., lists his occupation as a cook, and his complexion as “dark.”

From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 9, 2025

The internal revenue commissioner testified that the late E.W.

From Salon • Dec. 18, 2021

The group was referring to a 1985 amendment to the internal revenue code permanently barring a public officer convicted of a tax crime from voting and running in any election.

From Reuters • Dec. 2, 2021

President Donald Trump’s appointee as commissioner of internal revenue, Charles P. Rettig, estimated the gap at $1 trillion per year and called for stepped-up funding for the Internal Revenue Service to help cut it.

From Washington Post • Jul. 19, 2021

Mutilated currency, internal revenue and postage stamps, bank checks and drafts, will not be accepted, but will in all cases be returned to the sender.

From History of the Postage Stamps of the United States of America by Tiffany, John Kerr