減税

• Reading: げんぜい
• Romaji: genzei
• Kanji breakdown: 減 (gen) — decrease, reduce; 税 (zei) — tax
• Pronunciation: /ɡe.ɴ.ze.i/

Meaning

Tax reduction; tax cut. A decrease in the amount of tax levied on individuals or businesses.

Used as a noun or with する (減税する) in economic and political discourse. Often contrasted with 増税 (zouzei, tax increase) and 課税 (kazei, taxation). Policy debates around 減税 frequently invoke economic stimulus arguments on one side and fiscal sustainability concerns on the other. The term is neutral but politically charged depending on context.

Examples

1. 野党は消費税の減税を選挙の主要公約として掲げた。 The opposition party put a consumption tax cut at the centre of its election manifesto.
2. 中小企業向けの減税措置が今年度の税制改正に盛り込まれた。 Tax relief measures for small and medium-sized enterprises were included in this year's tax reform.
3. 経済学者の間でも、減税が景気回復につながるかどうかは意見が分かれている。 Even among economists, opinions are divided on whether tax cuts lead to economic recovery.

Usage Guide

Context: politics, economics, taxation, journalism

Tone: neutral

Origin & History

Compound of 減 (gen, decrease, reduce) and 税 (zei, tax). A straightforward administrative compound used since the Meiji tax reform era when modern Japan established a systematic taxation framework.

Cultural Context

Era: Meiji–Modern

Generation: Adults

Social background: Universal