sales tax

[/seɪlz tæks/]
nounpl: sales taxes
imposto sobre vendas
1. A tax imposed on the sale of goods and services, typically calculated as a percentage of the purchase price and collected by the seller at the point of sale
The sales tax in this state is 8.5%, so a $100 item will cost $108.50 at checkout.
O imposto sobre vendas neste estado é de 8,5%, então um item de $100 custará $108,50 no caixa.
2. A consumption tax levied at the retail level on the final sale of goods and services to end consumers
Sales tax is not included in the advertised price at most American retailers.
O imposto sobre vendas não está incluído no preço anunciado na maioria das lojas americanas.
In the USA, sales tax is a significant point-of-purchase consideration as it is typically not included in advertised prices, unlike in Brazil and Europe where VAT/ICMS is usually included. The rate varies considerably by state (ranging from 0% to over 10%) and even by county, making it an important factor in consumer transactions. This differs markedly from Brazil's ICMS system, which is a VAT-style tax applied throughout the supply chain rather than only at the final sale.
Synonyms / Sinônimos
consumption taxretail taxpoint-of-sale taxtransaction tax
Antonyms / Antônimos
tax exemptiontax deduction

Regional Variations

General Brazilian Portuguese
imposto sobre vendas
Most common and formal term used in business and legal contexts
General Brazilian Portuguese
ICMS (Imposto sobre Circulação de Mercadorias e Serviços)
Brazilian equivalent state tax; system differs significantly from US sales tax
Portugal
IVA (Imposto sobre o Valor Acrescentado)
Portuguese equivalent is VAT (value-added tax), not a sales tax system
United States
sales tax
Varies by state and sometimes by county; no federal sales tax in the USA

Related Words

value-added tax (VAT)income taxexcise taxtarifftax ratetaxabletax bracket

Related Idioms & Phrases

tax-free shopping
tax-inclusive pricing
before taxes
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