tartan tax

noun

An addition to income tax payable only by those in Scotland as a result of the Scottish variable rate.

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Meanings

nountartan tax (plural tartan taxes)

plural tartan taxes

  1. UKderogatoryAn addition to income tax payable only by those in Scotland as a result of the Scottish variable rate.

Origin

Coined by Michael Forsyth, Baron Forsyth of Drumlean, in reference to the tartans traditionally worn by Scottish clans.

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

tartan tax. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/tartan%20tax

MLA

“tartan tax.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/tartan%20tax. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “tartan tax,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/tartan%20tax.

Source: tartan tax on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.