sin tax

American  

noun

Informal.

1. a tax levied on cigarettes, liquor, gambling, or other things considered neither luxuries nor necessities.

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sin tax British  

noun

1. informal  a tax levied on something that is considered morally or medically harmful, such as alcohol or tobacco

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Etymology

Origin of sin tax

First recorded in 1970–75

Example Sentences

If a sin tax is successful and consumption drops — as it has with tobacco — “the tax base shrinks. And in the case of cannabis, there’s the added wrinkle that a high tax rate can push consumers back into the illicit market, which also reduces revenue,” she said.

From Los Angeles Times

This is not the first time services for the state’s youngest children have been affected by reductions in a sin tax.

From Los Angeles Times

“There’s not a general income tax, not a corporate tax. This is, from my perspective, more of a sin tax…. The cost borne by the taxpayers for gun violence is off the charts.… So it’s a small price to pay. This is pretty de minimis.”

From Los Angeles Times

California voters eked out a win for children more than two decades ago based on a “sin tax.”

From Los Angeles Times

Department of Revenue statistics show cannabis has become a larger source of state revenue than alcohol and tobacco as sources of “sin tax” revenue over the past five years, raising more than $2 billion for the state even before local sales taxes are calculated.

From Seattle Times