excise

Excise

A tax imposed on the performance of an act, the engaging in an occupation, or the enjoyment of a privilege. A tax on the manufacture, sale, or use of goods or on the carrying on of an occupation or activity, or a tax on the transfer of property. In current usage the term has been extended to include various license fees and practically every internal revenue tax except the Income Tax (e.g., federal alcohol and tobacco excise taxes).

excise

n. a tax upon manufacture, sale, or for a business license or charter, as distinguished from a tax on real property, income or estates. Sometimes it is redundantly called an excise tax. (See: tax)

excise

originally taxes charged on the retail sale within the UK of commodities such as beer, wines and spirits. Nowadays, however, licences (e.g. permitting the use of a gun or dealing in game) are classified as excise. One of the most commonly prosecuted excise offences is contravention of the legislation which requires motorists to display a vehicle excise licence, known colloquially as a tax disc.