Language: en
Meaning: (idiomatic,politics)A government-imposed tax on a specificgood,service, oractivitywhich islegalbut widely considered to beunwholesomeor sociallyharmful, such as a tax on alcoholic beverages, tobacco products, or gambling.1963May 1, Kathryn Baker, “White Facing Realities: Time, Cash”, inVictoria Advocate, Texas, USA, retrieved29 September 2012, page16A:He has suggested raising “sin taxes” on cigarettes, liquor and arcade games to pay for the 24-percent teacher pay raise he supports.1988Dec. 19, Jan M. Rosen, "Tax Watch: The Likely Forms Of New Taxes,"New York Times(retrieved 29 Sep 2012):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.2009April 2, Alex Altman, “A Brief History Of:Sin Taxes”, inTime:Thesin taxis an established tactic. In the early 1500s, Pope Leo X underwrote his lavish lifestyle in part by taxing licensed prostitutes.
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