tax dodge

noun

A scheme (legal or illegal) to avoid paying tax, or to pay less tax.

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Meanings

nountax dodge (plural tax dodges)

plural tax dodges

  1. derogatoryinformalA scheme (legal or illegal) to avoid paying tax, or to pay less tax.

    [headline] PARK 'GIFT' TO CITY CALLED TAX DODGE

    1941, “PARK 'GIFT' TO CITY CALLED TAX DODGE”, in The New York Times
    1 more example

    […]indication that taxpayer accepted public employment as a tax dodge, and where taxpayer earned approximately 98% of his income from his Oregon based business activities, taxpayer was a "public employee" and was therefore entitled to deduct[…]

    1927, United States Code Annotated

Origin

Attested from 1920s, perhaps as a back-formation from tax dodger, which is attested from the late 19th century. (But also compare dodge (“trick, stratagem”).)

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

tax dodge. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/tax%20dodge

MLA

“tax dodge.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/tax%20dodge. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “tax dodge,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/tax%20dodge.

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