税

• Pinyin: shuì
• Hanzi breakdown: 税 = 禾 (grain) + 兑 (exchange) — historically grain was exchanged as tax payment

Meaning

Tax. A mandatory financial charge imposed by the government on individuals or businesses.

Common types include 所得税 (income tax), 增值税 (VAT), 消费税 (consumption tax), 房产税 (property tax), and 关税 (tariffs). Related terms: 纳税 (to pay taxes), 税收 (tax revenue), 税务 (tax affairs), 免税 (tax-free), 避税 (tax avoidance), 逃税 (tax evasion). Tax compliance is a civic duty in China.

Examples

1. 个人所得税的起征点已经提高到了五千元。 The threshold for personal income tax has been raised to 5,000 yuan.
2. 买房需要缴纳契税和其他相关税费。 Buying a house requires paying deed tax and other related taxes.
3. 政府决定对进口商品加征关税。 The government decided to impose additional tariffs on imported goods.

Usage Guide

Context: finance, government, business

Tone: factual

Do Say

• 这个月要交税了。(Taxes are due this month.)
• 税后工资比税前少了不少。(After-tax salary is quite a bit less than before-tax.)

Don't Say

• 手续费不是'税' (Service fees aren't called 税 — use 费 for fees; 税 is specifically government-imposed)

Origin & History

Ancient Chinese character. Originally written with 禾 (grain) radical, as early taxes were collected in the form of grain.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal