Tax Word Meaning

Middle English (also in the sense ‘estimate or determine the amount of a penalty or damages’, surviving in tax (sense 4 of the verb)): from Old French taxer, from Latin taxare ‘to censure, charge, compute’, perhaps from Greek tassein ‘fix’

a compulsory contribution to state revenue, levied by the government on workers' income and business profits, or added to the cost of some goods, services, and transactions

compulsory contribution to state revenue, levied by government on workers' income and business profits

• higher taxes will dampen consumer spending
• a tax on fuel
• they will have to pay tax on interest earned by savings
• a tax bill
• tax cuts

a strain or heavy demand

strain or heavy demand

• a heavy tax on the reader's attention

impose a tax on (someone or something)

impose tax on

• the income will be taxed at the top rate

make heavy demands on (someone's powers or resources)

make heavy demands on

• she knew that the ordeal to come must tax all her strength

confront (someone) with a fault or wrongdoing

confront someone with fault or wrongdoing

• why are you taxing me with these preposterous allegations?

examine and assess (the costs of a case)

examine and assess

• an officer taxing a bill of costs