sin tax

plural sin taxes

1. idiomaticgovernmentA government-imposed tax on a specific good, service, or activity which is legal but widely considered to be unwholesome or socially harmful, such as a tax on alcoholic beverages, tobacco products, or gambling.

   He has suggested raising “sin taxes” on cigarettes, liquor and arcade games to pay for the 24-percent teacher pay raise he supports.

   1963 May 1, Kathryn Baker, “White Facing Realities: Time, Cash”, in Victoria Advocate, Texas, USA, retrieved 29 Sep 2012, page 16A

   2 more examples

   Another form of consumption tax that some foresee is a “sin tax”, which would come in the form of higher excise taxes on alcohol and tobacco.

   1988 Dec. 19, Jan M. Rosen, "Tax Watch: The Likely Forms Of New Taxes," New York Times (retrieved 29 Sep 2012)

   The sin tax is an established tactic. In the early 1500s, Pope Leo X underwrote his lavish lifestyle in part by taxing licensed prostitutes.

   2009 April 2, Alex Altman, “A Brief History Of: Sin Taxes”, in Time

   Synonyms: sumptuary tax