taxation

[ tak-sey-shuhn ]

noun

1. the act of taxing. tax.
2. the fact of being taxed.
3. a tax imposed.
4. the revenue raised by taxes. taxis. tax.

taxation

/ tækˈseɪʃən /

noun

1. the act or principle of levying taxes or the condition of being taxed
2. 1. an amount assessed as tax
   2. a tax rate
3. revenue from taxes

taxation

1. A government's practice of collecting money from citizens and businesses within its domain to support its operations.

Derived Forms

• taxˈational, adjective

Other Words From

• tax·ation·al adjective
• anti·tax·ation adjective
• nontax·ation noun
• protax·ation adjective
• retax·ation noun
• self-tax·ation noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of taxation¹

1250–1300; < Medieval Latin taxātiōn- (stem of taxātiō ) an appraising ( tax, -ation ); replacing Middle English taxacioun < Anglo-French < Medieval Latin, as above

Example Sentences

The campaign for the measure, which defined noncitizens as tax-paying undocumented people and green card holders, said it would allow for fairer elections, evoking the centuries-old slogan “no taxation without representation.”

From Los Angeles Times

He pledged to exempt Social Security benefits, overtime wages and tips from taxation.

From Los Angeles Times

Trump has proposed to cut the taxation of all Social Security benefits, which would dramatically weaken the program’s longevity.

From Salon

This “Project 2025 for dominion theology” is against taxation, regulation and labor unions, and its theorists “were fellow travelers with states’ righters, the John Birch Society and, later, the Tea Party movement.”

From Salon

He said the passage of the Finance Bill 2024, which contains new taxation provisions, was "key".

From BBC

Related Words

• duty
• tariff
• tax
• tax collection

More About Taxation

What is taxation?

Taxation is the act of making people and organizations pay taxes.

Taxation is how a government collects money (taxes) in order to financially support itself. Governments use the money collected from citizens to pay for welfare programs, the military, roads and bridges, government employees, science programs, public schools, and the many other services a government is responsible for. Almost every country on Earth has some form of taxation system.

Taxation is not voluntary, even if the taxpayer doesn’t directly benefit from the tax they pay. You cannot refuse to pay taxes without consequences. In most countries, you will be jailed or suffer another punishment for not paying taxes.

Why is taxation important?

The first records of the word taxation come from around 1250. It comes from the Medieval Latin taxātiōn, meaning “an appraising.”

The idea of taxation, however, is very old, going back to the ancient Greeks and Romans, though the system was much different. From ancient Greece through the Middle Ages, taxation often took the form of tithes, meaning a landowner would give a portion of their harvest to the government. Indirect taxing of sales and trade was more common, and direct taxes were often only imposed on the wealthy.

If you know your American history, you know that taxation played a large role in the creation of the United States. Famously, the American colonists refused any “taxation without representation.” They argued that they should not have to pay taxes to the British government when they were not represented by any members of Parliament. The British government disagreed, and the argument eventually resulted in the American Revolutionary War.

Did you know … ?

Some countries make enough money from other sources that their citizens don’t pay any income tax at all. For example, the United Arab Emirates funds the government through the taxation of oil sales and banking, while Bermuda supports itself through employer payroll taxes and land taxes.

What are real-life examples of taxation?

Unsurprisingly, taxation is very unpopular with the people who must actually pay taxes.

The fact that New York pays more into the federal government than it gets back is not a "fundamental injustice."

It's inherent in the concept of federal taxation that richer states would put in more.

— Bill Hammond (@NYHammond) January 19, 2021

I get paid tomorrow.

I earned $913 and after taxes I get $777.

Taxation is theft.

— Francisco T 🎗🌺📦 (@FTthemusician) November 20, 2020

 

What other words are related to taxation?

• tax
• economics
• finance
• government
• income tax
• property tax
• sales tax
• infrastructure
• welfare

Quiz yourself!

True or False?

The main reason for taxation is the government’s need to collect money in order to finance itself.